Help bring a CASA Program to Milam County

Ever heard the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child?” 

It still rings true today - and in this spirit, community leaders are working to bring an advocacy nonprofit here that would support and serve Milam County’s most vulnerable children.

Local community members are hosting a community meeting in the hope of establishing a Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program to serve children in foster care in Milam County. The meeting is open to all county residents and will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 12, at the Kay Theater, 350 N. Main St., in Rockdale.

When a child is removed from their home due to allegations of abuse or neglect and placed in the foster care system, the judge overseeing the child’s case may appoint a community volunteer to advocate for the child’s best interests. That volunteer is called a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA volunteer.

CASA volunteers are everyday community members who are specially trained to advocate for a child or sibling group while they are in the system. They advocate for the child in court, school and other settings; and get to know everyone involved in the child’s life, including their parents, foster parents, teachers, doctors, family members and others.

CASA volunteers advocate first and foremost for children to be reunified with their parents whenever safe and possible. When reunification is not an option, they may advocate for the child to live with another relative or family friend. They can also advocate for the child to be placed in an adoptive home. In all cases, CASA volunteers are steadfast, consistent presences for the children they serve, making sure they are safe and have the resources and connections they need to grow and thrive.

Last year, there were 45,870 children in foster care statewide—114 of these children were in Milam County. These children need a CASA volunteer to advocate for their safety and well-being. To make this happen, we will need to bring a CASA program to Milam County. 

We hope you will attend the community meeting on Sept. 12, where the community organizers will talk about the options they have and are trying to pursue, explain what CASA is and give the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns and share ideas. For more information, contact Mike Wilson at mwilson4479@yahoo.com, or visit the Facebook page Bring CASA to Milam County.

If you’d like to find out more about becoming a CASA volunteer or other ways to get involved visit www.BecomeACASA.org.