Over 500,000 children in the United States are in the foster care system because their home environments are unsafe. In Indiana alone, there were 17,436 abuse and neglect cases filed in 2005, 65 of which were in Greene County.
These children have suffered abuse, neglect, or other physical or sexual mistreatment, often due to one or both parents’ drug or alcohol addictions. Through no fault of their own, these children are removed from their homes and placed in foster care while their parents undergo services to address the problems in the home. Once in the system, the Court must determine whether the children can be reunified with their families or need a different permanent plan for their lives, such as adoption or guardianship.
Children in this situation are scared, confused, sad, lonely, and overwhelmed. Worse, the adults the children trust the most are not there to support them. That’s where a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) comes in.
The MISSION of the Greene County CASA Program is to provide advocacy for the best interest of children involved in Juvenile Court Proceedings as defined by the laws of the state of Indiana. We support the development, growth, recruitment, and training of community volunteers to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates.
The OBJECTIVE of the Greene County CASA Program is to recruit and train volunteers to effectively represent the best interest of the children in the juvenile court proceedings. Every child who needs an advocate should have a CASA volunteer to advocate for a timely permanency plan and make recommendations regarding appropriate rehabilitative and protective services to the court.
Greene County CASA Program, Courthouse 3rd Floor, Main Street, Bloomfield, IN 47424 Telephone (812) 384-2036, Fax (812) 384-2386, E-mail casa@co.greene.in.us
