CASA of Sedgwick County

Since 1981 when a group of local women decided that vulnerable children in Sedgwick County needed a voice, CASA of Sedgwick County has been serving children who have been abused, neglected and who are in the foster care system.

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate and it is those advocates who serve as volunteers in many different situations in the county. CASA of Sedgwick County is celebrating its 30th Anniversary in June 2011 and it is because of the numerous volunteers that this group has been able to do so much good over that time.

 “CASAs are requested by a Judge in juvenile court proceedings and appointed to a case, receiving authorization to become the 'Judge’s eyes and ears' in the field,” said Serena Hanson, Program Director for CASA of Sedgwick County. “The CASA volunteer will make monthly visits with the child to whom he or she is appointed. The CASA will also maintain monthly contact with the child’s birth parents and family members, foster parents, therapists, social workers, teachers, etc.”

The CASA also acts as the “voice of the child” said Hanson, by reporting all information gathered to the Judge.

“CASA volunteers are typically the most consistent presence in a child's case because our volunteers are appointed to one case for the lifetime of the case,” she added.

A staff of 5 currently make this essential non-profit program work. In addition to the staff, in 2010 71 volunteers served 170 children from the child welfare system in Sedgwick County. “Children in foster care need a voice,” said Hanson. “They need consistency. They need to know that someone is there, fighting for them and only for them. CASA volunteers aren't paid to advocate and speak up for these children, they do it because they have a heart for the needs of these hurting children. We’re working hard, every day, to make sure the children we serve don’t fall through the cracks.”

Preventing the problem Though it's a problem throughout the community, Hanson points out that in some aspects, child abuse is still a pretty big “secret.”

 “We don't encourage our children to talk about what's happening at home, at school, with the neighbors, with their friends,” said Hanson. “We go about our day and hope that it's really not that bad. We often find ourselves thinking, 'someone else will take care of it.'”

Hanson points out that child abuse many times is a generational issue, it's a cycle.

“One it's started in a family, it's very difficult to stop,” she said. “Many of the children that we serve are members of family groups that have struggled with these issues for generations.”

But in other cases stress or other situations in a family unit a dangerous new pattern can start. Without appropriate coping skills and support networks, parents can head down a path that no one intends to walk.

“By stepping up to help support and advocate for a child who has been abused or neglected now, you could potentially be saving the next generation from ever experiencing the trauma of abuse or neglect at all,” said Hanson. “You're showing this generation that there are other options. You're demonstrating for them that children are valuable and important members of our community.”