MOUNT VERNON – Nine new Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) staffers and volunteers — said to be the first in Knox County history — were sworn in on April 29.
The Honorable Judge Jay W. Nixon of Knox Probate/Juvenile Court swore in Catherine Swope, Jennifer Keller, Shannon Winings, Alissa Schmidt, Jenny Keesee, Janet Chaney, Jill Grubb, Tammy Deckling and Tim Llewellyn, a CASA press release said.
Trained to advocate for the best interests of the children they work with, CASA volunteers help guide children in the juvenile justice system who are suffering from abuse, neglect and dependency.
“A CASA volunteer gets to know the child while also gathering information from the child’s family, teachers, doctors, caregivers and anyone else involved in the child’s life in order to make independent and informed recommendations to help the judge decide what is best for the child,” the release stated.
Right now, over 100 children in Knox County alone still need volunteers.
The next training and swearing in is July 2021, and interviews are starting soon. The group is hoping to grow so more children and families can be helped.
For more details, visit parentingplus.org/programs/casa. A volunteer application can be found at oh-ashland.evintosolutions.com/volunteerapplication. The organization also has Facebook and Instagram. Browse to ohiocasa.org for statewide details.
