Mission and Goals
Recruit, train, and support a diverse network of Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers to provide abused and neglected children in our community with quality advocacy in the Hancock County court system and to secure them a safe, permanent, and nurturing home.
- Have every abused and neglected child served by a CASA volunteer.
- Professionally advocate for improved outcomes and in the best interest of each child [who has suffered abuse or neglect].
- Continuously improve volunteer effectiveness and increase program quality.
- Share our insights to improve child welfare laws and policies.
The Problem
Every year Mississippi has over 22,000 reports of child abuse and neglect. Many of these children will be placed in an overburdened DHS system with the number in Hancock County tripling in the last eighteen months to approximately 255 children. Their voices are getting lost.
Imagine
...being taken away from your parents. You may wonder:
"Am I in trouble?"
"I shouldn't have told anyone."
"Where am I going?"
Now, you are surrounded by a lot of strangers: police, foster parents, social workers, judges, lawyers, therapists and more. Hopefully, one of those people is a CASA volunteer.
What is a CASA Volunteer
Court Appointed Special Advocates are trained community volunteers who advocate for the needs of abused and neglected children, to give children a voice in court, and to ensure they don't get lost in an overburdened system. The CASA's goal is to help find a safe, loving and permanent home for the child. How can I become a CASA volunteer?
