CASA of the Appalachian Mountains asks Pike County to help recruit volunteers, provide local space

Kristen Dinsmore Smith, executive director of CASA of the Appalachian Mountains, told the Pike County Fiscal Court the program needs more volunteers and local support to serve children in abuse and neglect cases.

"We are a local nonprofit in Pike County," Dinsmore Smith said. "CASA is a organization of court appointed special advocates... we help train and supervise everyday citizens to help advocate for children in the court system that have experienced some form of abuse or neglect." She said CASA of the Appalachian Mountains serves seven counties, including Pike, and that local volunteers are appointed to cases by a judge.

Dinsmore Smith described volunteer qualifications and duties: volunteers must be at least 21 years old, pass a background check, complete pre-service training and typically handle one case at a time. She said most volunteers maintain full-time jobs while serving and that the volunteer writes a brief report to the judge to ensure the court has additional information about the child's needs.

Sarah Moorefield, listed in the meeting as community engagements for CASA, told the court volunteers generally commit "6 to 8 hours a month" and that those who cannot volunteer can serve on the local board or provide in-kind donations. Moorefield said CASA provides backpacks, school supplies, birthday and holiday gifts, hygiene supplies and resource binders volunteers can use to connect children with services.

Dinsmore Smith gave state and local statistics to illustrate demand. She said Kentucky reported more than 16,000 child-abuse cases in 2023, and that Pike County recorded new petitions for individual children numbering approximately 299 in 2020, 306 in 2021, 206 in 2022, 214 in 2023 and 190 in 2024. She told the court Pike County currently has two active volunteers and two board members.

Judge Jones expressed support for CASA's work on the record, saying he has long backed the program and offered the court's assistance if the nonprofit needs help. "I support the court appointed special advocate program," he said.

Dinsmore Smith and Moorefield asked the court and community to help by publicizing recruiting events, offering office space to provide a local foothold for volunteers and by donating items or money for fundraising. Moorefield said the group's Facebook page, CASA of the Appalachian Mountains, lists events and outreach opportunities.

Why it matters: CASA volunteers are assigned to individual child-protection cases to provide judges with additional information about children's needs and placements. The presenters told the court Pike County's small volunteer base means some volunteers carry long or complex cases and that local visibility and an accessible office would make recruitment and volunteer training more feasible.

Next steps: Court members acknowledged the request and discussed ways to identify local meeting space and events where CASA can recruit volunteers and board members.