April is National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month, and CASA in the Heart of Texas is raising awareness of the need for more dedicated members of the community to step up and help end child abuse and neglect, through supporting children and their families.

For the fiscal year 2021-2022, the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services confirmed 56,944 victims of child abuse or neglect, including 163 in Brown County. Currently, there are 85 Brown County children in foster care. We need more Advocate Volunteers to help advocate for the kids in care.

CASA volunteers, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, are everyday people from all walks of life who are recruited and specially trained to advocate for children in foster care and provide a consistent, reliable adult presence for them during a difficult time in their life.

“Our volunteer Advocates’ first priority is to keep families together whenever safe and possible,” said Michelle Wells, Executive Director of CASA in the Heart of Texas. “Foster care is only a temporary solution to the problems at hand. We need to create long term support networks that work to care for families, make reunification a possibility, and help break the cycle for the next generation.”

CASA volunteers are assigned to one child or sibling group to advocate for their best interest in court, in school and in other settings. They get to know the child, and everyone involved in their life, such as their parents and other family members, foster parents, therapists, caseworkers and teachers, to develop a realistic picture of the child’s unique situation. They engage those important to the child and family to build a network of support around them, so that the family has access to support and resources after the case ends. They make recommendations to the judge overseeing the child’s case, with the goal of ensuring that the child is safe, and the family has the resources, support and healthy relationships needed to heal.

“There is always a need for more CASA volunteer Advocates,” said Wells. “By becoming a volunteer Advocate, you can take your efforts beyond just awareness, and do your part to help support children and families in crisis right here in our community.”

When reunification is not a possibility for the children they serve, CASA volunteers work to find others that can provide a positive, healthy and loving environment. These can include relatives, friends or other adults that are important in the child’s life—keeping a child connected to their home community.

“We at CASA in the Heart of Texas always hope for the day when CASA, foster care and a national month dedicated to child abuse prevention are no longer needed because all children are growing up safe, secure and supported with their families,” said Wells. “Until then, we will continue to seek more members of the community to join our growing movement so that we can provide a CASA volunteer Advocate for every child who needs one.”

If you see abuse, report it to 1 (800) 252-5400 or go to www.txabusehotline.org. If a child’s life is in danger, call 911.

For more information on becoming a CASA, visit www.casabrownwood.org or call 325-643-2557. CASA in the Heart of Texas is accepting applications for the next training class.