North Platte-(CASA) CASA of Lincoln County, is excited to announce the first SEVEN advocates, to be sworn in by the courts on Wednesday, June 27th at 11:30am, with a picnic to follow.
The swearing in presentation will take place at 11:30am at County Courthouse. Following, a swearing in celebration will take place beginning at approximately at 12noon at Memorial Park with a picnic provided by Nebraskaland National Bank. These events are closed to the public, however open to the media, supporters of CASA and fellow CASA volunteers. A picnic invite is attached. If you would like to attend the swearing in ceremony at the courthouse, please contact Stephanie Miller at 520-0577 for specific information.
This is a huge milestone for this new organization, in its first year of conception. In Spring of 2012, Executive Director Stephanie Miller was hired along with the completed filing of a 501(3) c non-profit organization status. Since then, the group has been able to move forward and train the first set (of many) advocates.
With over 100 kids in the court systems waiting for a CASA advocate, the hope is to continually add volunteers to help keep up with the need for advocates and to assist children in Lincoln County. Each advocate that will be sworn in has completed nearly 40 hours of advocate training and will maintain and a training schedule annually.
CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes. Volunteers stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence in their lives.