Cheyenne County CASA prepares volunteers to be child advocates

Volunteers with Cheyenne County CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, have been serving as advocates for children in the area since 2010.

CASA is comprised of volunteers who train to be advocates for children in court cases. According to CASA Executive Director Rose Bowcut, the children are already in foster homes once a CASA volunteer is appointed.

Once a situation is deemed unfit for a child, an officer removes the child from his or her home and the Department of Health and Human Services steps in to place the child in foster care. If a foster home cannot be found, the child is placed in what is called kinship, where a close friend or family member takes temporary custody of the child. CASA volunteers are appointed to every child abuse and neglect case.

The CASA volunteers work closely with the guardian ad litem in the court system. A guardian ad litem acts as a fact finder for the court, where CASA volunteers act as advocates for the child.

Attorney Tanya Martens often works as a guardian ad litem in the Cheyenne County courts.

"CASA is a resource for children to have a positive adult in their life, someone who will listen," Martens said. "(CASA volunteers) help build communication in cases where there may not be communication."

Once assigned, the volunteer becomes the eyes and ears of the judge.

"We visit the child in all aspects of their life," Bowcut said.

The CASA volunteer appointed to the case immerses themselves into the life of the child, visiting the child's home and school. They could even attend medical appointments to "become better advocates for the child" Bowcut said.

CASA volunteers go through various aspects of training as well as an interview process and background check. Cheyenne County CASA has a two-week initial training program, and the next training will be in March.

The training covers the various laws involved with child advocacy, court systems, cultural competence, risk factors for child abuse or neglect, and the impact of substance abuse on families. They also train in understanding children and communication, how to gather information and interview, and how to write reports. All of these topics are covered over the course of two weeks and is supported by various guest speakers.

According to Bowcut, she also adds to the basic training by introducing the volunteers to the people they will be working with in the courtroom.

Being a volunteer is a commitment. According to Bowcut, having a consistent volunteer in the child's life helps in what is a traumatic time.

Cheyenne County CASA currently has five volunteers and there are two new volunteers that are set to take the training in March. The volunteers go through 30 hours of initial training and have to complete continuing education hours every year.

"Now hopefully we have enough volunteers to appoint a different volunteer to each child that has been appointed to our organization," Bowcut said.

CASA is a state and national non-profit organization. Much of the group's funding comes from various grants. The group also does fundraisers, including a 'Night of Music' in December, and proceeds go to Cheyenne County CASA. The group was also recently awarded $3,000 from the Cheyenne County commissioners.

According to Bowcut, the majority of cases the group is involved with are substance abuse cases.

"Obviously, if the parent is using drugs, they are neglectful their children," Bowcut said.

After the child's home life is deemed safe and healthy again, the child is placed back in the home. CASA volunteers continue to work with the children until the judge closes the case.

"Ideally we want permanency, we want a safe and healthy environment with the parents," Bowcut said.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or who desires more information can contact Bowcut at (308) 249-4715 or [email protected]. Additional information is also available at http://www.cheyennecountycasa.org.