Staff Report
Superior Court Judge Arthur A. Garcia swore in five people on Jan. 23 as new CASA volunteers — court-appointed special advocates for children who have experienced abuse or neglect.
Family and friends gathered in Juvenile Court to watch the volunteers take an oath promising to advocate for the best interests of the child.
The newly appointed CASA volunteers join 291 other community members who have been trained and are advocating for foster children in the county’s juvenile dependency court system. As officers of the court, they ensure that the children’s needs are recognized and best interests are considered both in the courtroom and in the community.
CASA volunteers are asked to meet with the child once a week and are authorized to interview people in the child’s life such as social workers, attorneys, doctors, coaches and teachers. They attend court hearings with the child and report their findings to the judge.
“Our volunteers pledge to stay with a child until the case is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home,” said Kim Colby Davis, executive director for CASA of Santa Barbara County. “The advocate is often the only consistent adult presence in the child’s life.”
With more than 60 children waiting for a CASA volunteer, and more coming into care each week, many more advocates are still needed, Davis said. There are no prerequisites for becoming a CASA volunteer other than being at least 21 years old, clearing an extensive background screening and successfully completing 30 hours of training.
The next advocate training session for Santa Maria begins March 4. CASA of Santa Barbara County must find 75 more volunteers in order to meet the needs of our community’s most vulnerable children.
Anyone interested in learning more about becoming a CASA volunteer can contact CASA at info@sbcasa.org or 805-739-9102, or visit sbcasa.org/volunteer.
