Sarpy County Seeks Court Appointed Special Advocates
An average of about 400 children go through Sarpy County’s foster care system each year.
But each CASA volunteer is assigned to just one child, so “they can get to know them and figure out what they need and what they like and what we can do to help make them successful,” Creps said.
Most foster care cases are open for about 18 months, but the turnover is so high among caseworkers that a child might go through four or five of them by the time they’ve been placed in a permanent home, Creps said.
“That’s one thing we ask when we swear a CASA in, is that they can dedicate at least 18 months, because we want them to be in it for the long haul,” Creps said. “They’re really the constant in the case. Obviously, the kids tend to trust them.”
CASAs undergo 30 hours of training to make sure they understand the juvenile court system and what their role will be. The county also offers additional educational opportunities each month. A CASA is required to meet with the child they are paired with at least once a month, though Creps says that they usually meet more often than that.
Even when a child is placed with a relative, they are still assigned a CASA. Oftentimes, the family members are unfamiliar with the foster care system and how the juvenile court operates.
“They don’t know anything about child welfare,” Creps said. “The CASA can also be a point of contact for them. The CASA might not have the answer, but they’re going to help find it out for them.”
In looking for CASA volunteers, Creps said that willingness to be an advocate for the child is the most important thing.
“If it was your own child, what would you want for them?” Creps said. “We want to make sure that kids are getting a good education and they’re having the same opportunities as everybody else.”
For more about the Sarpy County CASA program, or to volunteer to become a CASA, visit sarpycasa.com, email casa@sarpy.com or call 402-593-2259. Visit casaomaha.org to volunteer in Douglas County, or visit nebraskacasa.org to connect to other CASA programs.
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