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By BETH CHAPMAN | Special to the Reporter

There’s an elephant in the room or in this case, there’s an elephant in our county. It’s something few people realize, and even fewer people discuss or work to do anything tangible about—it’s child abuse and neglect. Yes, the number one county in the state to raise a family—the one with the least amount of crime, the most money, the lowest unemployment rate, the best schools and safest neighborhoods has child abuse in it.

How much child abuse do we have? Who knows because so much of it goes unreported, but we know it exists because we have many good organizations that address the issue daily. I have been part of one of those organizations for 26 years and I can testify to the fact that Shelby County, as great and prosperous as it is in so many ways, has hundreds of child abuse cases in it each year. Every city, every county, state and all socio-economic levels have it. Sad but true, so what can you do about it?

Because Shelby County is innovative and addresses its issues, it has a specific non-profit 501(c)(3) organization to address the issue—the Court Appointed Special Advocates. It recruits and trains volunteers to work with abused and neglected children. CASA volunteers go through the court process with these children and advocate for their best interests. CASA also teaches parenting classes and supervises visits for children who might not get them otherwise.

Once someone volunteers to be a CASA they go through training for one night a week for six weeks—half in person and half online. The training occurs at the Patricia M. Smith CASA House in Columbiana. Once trained, CASA volunteers are sworn in by Juvenile Judge Erin Welborn in her courtroom and they become official officers of the court—the eyes and ears of the court and a “voice” for the children they serve.

You, too, can help these children. You may think you need a college degree or professional credentials to help abused and neglected children, but you don’t. We train you and teach you what you need to know to help. All you need is a caring heart, a compassionate spirit and a desire to help these special children. You will be taught everything you need to know and have the support you need to get it accomplished.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and a perfect time to volunteer or donate funding to help our county’s most vulnerable children. For more information on how you can become a CASA volunteer, or donate to the cause, please visit Casaofshelbycounty.org or call me at 205-243-8753.

CASA is funded in part by the Children’s Trust Fund, a Shelby County Community Grant and multiple companies and individuals. Call or visit us online today. We need you and the abused and neglected children of Shelby County need you too. Please help us address the “elephant” in our county.