Ordinary people doing extraordinary work

April is Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month and the week of April 27 – May 3 is designated as National Volunteer Week. What better time to recognize and thank the nearly 150 Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers in Alaska who speak up for abused and neglected children in OCS custody in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and the Mat-Su Valley.

CASAs are ordinary citizens with no special degrees or backgrounds. They are people who are concerned about children and are willing to do something to make a positive impact in the life of a child. CASAs are carefully screened, and receive over 30 hours of training by Office of Public Advocacy staff before being assigned to a child’s case. The CASA volunteer’s role is to get to know the child, gather information about the child’s family situation, determine the child’s needs, advocate for the child’s best interest and monitor the progress of the case until the child is safely returned to his/her family or until the child is in another safe, permanent home.

The media frequently bring to our attention stories of victims of abuse and neglect. This special group of Alaska citizens who volunteer their time and energy to the CASA program work hard every day to make a difference in the lives of such children.

Thank you, Alaska CASA volunteers, for speaking up for a child!

Marion Hallum

state director

Alaska CASA