Paulding Juvenile Court Judge Sandra Miller administered the oath to 25 volunteers to be court-appointed special advocates (CASA) for abused and neglected children last week at Paulding County’s Silver Comet Field.
Family and friends gathered at the Paulding Airport Terminal Conference Center to watch the volunteers take an oath promising to advocate for the best interests of children placed in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services.
The newly appointed CASA volunteers join 58 other dedicated community members who have been trained and are advocating for foster children in the county’s juvenile dependency court system. As officers of the court, they ensure that the children’s needs are recognized and their best interests are considered both in the courtroom and in the community. According to Judge Miller, more than 165 children are currently in foster care in Paulding County and many more advocates are still needed.
CASA volunteers are asked to meet with the child regularly and are authorized to interview people in the child’s life such as social workers, attorneys, and teachers. They attend court hearings with the child and report their findings to the judge. As officers of the court, they ensure that the children’s needs are recognized and best interests are considered both in the courtroom and in the community.“Our volunteers pledge to stay with each child until the case is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home," said Melodie Smith, executive director of CASA Paulding. “The advocate is often the only consistent adult presence in the child’s life.” There are no prerequisites for becoming a CASA volunteer other than being at least 21 years of age, clearing an extensive background screening and successfully completing 30 hours of classroom training and 10 hours of court observation.
The next advocate training session for CASA Paulding begins July, 2016. To learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer, contact Maria T. Rodriguez-Curtis, Recruitment and Training coordinator at 770- 505-0065 or online at www.casapaulding.org and visit the Paulding CASA Facebook page.

The CASA Paulding Program is a member of the National CASA Association, a network of more than 900 CASA programs serving children in 49 states and Washington DC.