Court-appointed special advocate volunteers needed in Adams County; training begins Aug. 17

QUINCY — CASA of Adams County, a program of Advocacy Network for Children, needs court-appointed special advocate volunteers to speak up for the abused and neglected children in the court system.

An accelerated training for CASA volunteers is set for:

• Friday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 17 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 18 from 1-5 p.m.

Training will be at Hope Lutheran Church, 1739 Harrison. Court observation and swearing in of volunteers will be held on a date not yet scheduled.

A number of informational meetings will be held for interested individuals via Zoom at 12:30 p.m. Those dates are Aug. 17, Aug. 24 , Aug. 31, Sept. 7 and Sept. 14. A final informational meeting will be held at 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 15. The meetings should last approximately 30 minutes. The Zoom link for the meetings is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84551947807.

CASA volunteers are trained community volunteers appointed by a judge to speak up for abused or neglected children in the court system. Volunteers receive 30 hours of training prior to case assignment.

Training includes courtroom procedures, working with social service agencies and the special needs of abused and neglected children. Training is free, with training manuals and materials provided. Once trained, CASA volunteers work alongside attorneys and social workers from case inception to its completion.

CASA volunteers come from all walks of life. No special experience is required. These trained volunteers will represent abused and neglected children in the Adams County court system.

For more information or to request an application, call the Advocacy Network for Children office at 217-223-2272 or Danielle Buss at 217-617-5438.