CASA for Children Marks Social Work Month

As part of March’s National Social Work Month celebration, CASA for Children recognizes and appreciates the social workers, advocates and others who devote their lives and careers to bettering the lives of others.

Social workers strive to build a stronger community for all people, and CASA is a proud partner in the effort to create a brighter future for all children and families involved in the child welfare system.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) collaborates with the Department of Human Services (DHS) and other key advocates in the child welfare system to ensure that children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect are kept safe and their needs are met throughout their time in care.

“CASA and DHS share a common goal -- to protect the unprotected,” said Suzanne Hughes, CASA for Children’s executive director.

“We all work together to ensure that these children’s needs are met, and that they are set up for a successful, happy future. CASA volunteers have a primary focus of family reunification whenever safe and possible. Working together to create and strengthen a supportive network for children and their parents helps increase the likelihood for sustainable reunification to happen.”

You don’t need to be a social worker to be a CASA volunteer. You just need to have the heart and desire to make a difference -- just like our colleagues in the social work field.

CASA volunteers come from all walks of life and backgrounds, but they all have one thing in common -- a passion for helping children. They are appointed to advocate for a child’s best interests and get to know the child personally. Volunteers speak with everyone in the child’s life, including social workers, foster parents, therapists and more, so they can make well-informed recommendations to the court.

The volunteer recruitment, screening and training processes have all moved online because of the COVID pandemic. Online classes are forming now for Muskogee, McIntosh, Wagoner and Sequoyah counties to begin in April 2021.

For more information about CASA for Children or to learn how to get involved, visit www.casaok.org or call Jenny Crosby at (918) 686-8199.

For more news stories stay tuned to The MIX 105.1 or visit www.kxmx.com