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Dear Editor,

In recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we wanted to thank the Board of Directors and volunteers of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Shelby County.  These are people who volunteer their time to work to prevent child abuse and neglect and to help recruit and train volunteers to go through the court process with children who are abused or neglected.

They are retired schoolteachers, full-time employees, nurses, lawyers, counselors, secretaries – people from all walks of life and different levels of education who have caring hearts and giving spirits.  They give of their time to improve the lives of these special children to ensure that their best interests are met.

These children may be tossed from foster home to foster home and change schools 3-4 times a year or more.  They may have multiple case workers, but only 1 CASA.  Many times, their CASA worker is the only stability in their lives.

At least 1 in every 7 children in the U.S. has experienced abuse or neglect in the past year. On any given day, nearly 424,000 children are in the foster care system due to abuse and neglect – hundreds die because of abuse and neglect.

While our numbers are not as high in Shelby County as they are in many counties, they are still staggering.  Thankfully, we have organizations like CASA, (the only one of its kind), that provides our unique service to the court and these special children in need.

During this month, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, please consider becoming a CASA Volunteer by visiting www.casaofshelbycounty.org.  Our community’s children need you!

CASA of Shelby County is funded in part by the Children’s Trust Fund of Alabama, a Shelby County Community Grant, EBSCO and multiple other corporations, foundations, and individuals.  Thank you to all of them as well. Our work would not be possible without their generous contributions.

We also want to thank the Shelby County Reporter for your thorough coverage of our efforts throughout the year. You help us spread our message of hope to those who are abused and neglected that there is help and hope for them.  Thank you!

Beth Chapman and Michelle Bond

CASA of Shelby County, Staff