Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers from all over Indiana attended CASA Day March 4th at the Indiana State House. Every day these volunteers are the voice for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system and today they were their voice at the State House.
There are nearly 3,500 CASA volunteers in 73 Indiana counties advocating on behalf of 18,699 abused and neglected children. In La Porte County there are 60 CASA Volunteers representing 165 abused and neglected children.
The program included remarks from Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma. Judge Viola Taliaferro, who took part in the DCS Summer Study Commission, and the 2010 CASA Volunteer of the Year, Bud Herron, and the foster child he advocated for, also spoke. The 15 year old young man wrote and sang a rap song that described his experience in foster care and spoke about the importants of Bud, his CASA.
“I was proud to again chair this exciting event where you could feel the energy and commitment of 300 volunteers and CASA staff chanting, ‘I am a CASA….I am for the Child’”, stated Harmony House/CASA Director, Karen Biernacki. “In La Porte County, we are fortunate to have legislators who are willing to listen to the needs of our children and support events such as CASA Day.”
The event was being sponsored by the Indiana Child Advocates Network and the State Office of GAL/CASA, of the Indiana Supreme Court, Division of State Court Administration and attended by Justice Steven David and Justice Loretta Rush.
For more information about becoming a CASA volunteer go to www.lpcasa.com.