CASA executive director advocates for healthy homes

SEARCY — Laura Burks believes every child deserves to live in a stable, healthy home. However, as executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates of White County, she has seen that not all children live in healthy situations.

CASA is a national, volunteer-based program started in 1977 by a juvenilecourt judge in Seattle. While in the courtroom, he felt as if he didn’t have enough evidence to make decisions in some of his cases involving children. He developed the idea of volunteer citizens who would speak up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom. Thus, CASA was born. Judge Robert Edwards brought the program to White County in 2000.

CASA’s volunteers are judge-appointed individuals who assist in advocating for abused and neglected children. The volunteers make sure the children are safe, healthy and aren’t negatively affected by the legal and social-service system, or placed into unsafe situations. The volunteers stay with each case until it has been closed and the child is safe. Unfortunately, for many children, their CASA volunteer is the only constant adult in their lives.

Burks came to CASA in 2013, and she said it didn’t take long for her to see the need that existed in White County.

As a volunteer-based organization, CASA relies on the help of others.

Nationwide, there are more than 76,000 volunteers within CASA. Locally, there are approximately 60 to 70 volunteers working nearly 100 cases. Burks said she has some amazing volunteers, ordinary citizens with a willing heart to help.

Time isn’t the only thing CASA needs; the organization also needs donations.

“Without donations, we cannot continue to serve every foster child in White County,” Burks said.

Financial support is crucial for the CASA program because many of the grants it receives require matching donations. CASA relies on individual and business donations to match the grants for CASA’s program.

As an alumna of Harding University, Burks has used her connections with the university to get students involved, including helping CASA as a class project. Students have helped CASA with marketing materials for the CASA Fun Run, Light the Night and Get Down Downtown.

Burks said she enjoys Harding students getting involved with CASA.

“They bring in positive and engaging energy,” she said. “There are many ways Harding University students want to be involved in our community; we do our best to utilize their willingness to help.”

Burks said there are many ways the public can get involved in CASA. The organization hosts two events in April because it is National Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention month. One of the events is Light the Night. During this event, third-graders are picked from different schools to learn about healthy families and how they can help kids who are struggling in hard situations. The next day, they present what they’ve learned to their classmates. The other event is the annual fundraiser the CASA Fun Run.

To find out how to get involved in CASA of White County or to learn more about the organization, visit www. wccasa.org.