FRANKLIN COUNTY COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES (CASA) VOLUNTEER TRAINING

ROCKY MOUNT – The Franklin County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program is recruiting volunteers to serve as advocates for children in our community. CASA volunteers come from all walks of life, educational backgrounds, and professional careers. These individuals are trained
community volunteers, appointed by a judge to speak up for children who are involved in judicial proceedings related to abuse, neglect, or children in need of supervision or services.

Applicant for this program must be 21 years of age, have the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, and be able to interact with people of various educational and ethnic backgrounds. Applicant will need to pass state and federal background checks. Individuals entering into the training program will receive 40 hours of training related to their
volunteer duties and two additional 2 hours of court observation. After being sworn-in CASAs are mentored by an experienced volunteer for their first two cases. CASA volunteers should be able to commit to 5-10 hours a month, after new recruit training, and should be able to appear in court for hearings.

The role of a CASA is child advocacy. Information is collected and compiled in a report including: case and family history, current family conditions, concerns, and recommendations to ensure children remain safe and have permanent homes. CASAs also assist guardian ad litems, the child’s attorney, monitor each case for compliance with the court’s orders, and report their
findings back to the court. All CASAs are mandated reporters of abuse and neglect.

Training begins March 26th and will be at the Southern Virginia Child Advocacy Center located at 300 South Main Street in Rocky Mount. For more information, on CASA and all our service programs look at our website at http://www.southernvacac.org . Call 540-484-5566 for more
information.