July 14, 2022 – This week, CASA swore in four new court-appointed advocates to its program.
Court-appointed special advocates Riley Cremeens, Morgan Blassi, Kimberley Ray, and Tonya Ray were sworn in by Judge Thomas Little, his final CASA swear-in after 12 years on the Juvenile Advocacy bench.
Volunteers underwent 30 hours of training learning about abuse and neglect, the child welfare system, how to write a court report, cultural competency, the role of CASA, and more. This week, they’ll each be placed on cases with local foster children who have been abused or neglected and removed from their biological homes.
Currently, there are over 340 children in Macon & DeWitt Counties waiting to be assigned to a CASA advocate. CASA Executive Director Julia Livingston said the organization needs the community’s help. You can become a CASA volunteer if you’re over 21 years old, can pass a background check, care about the welfare of local children, and can give 10 hours of your time a month. No social work experience needed.
Three training classes remain in 2022. Training begins on August 2nd, September 22nd, and November 10th. If you’re interested in becoming a CASA advocate or getting more information, go to www.maconcountycasa.org
