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Sumner CASA: 'Safe Baby' court speeds reunification for infants exposed to drugs
Summary
Sumner County CASA told the nonprofit allocation panel that its Safe Baby Court specialty—focused on infants exposed to substances—has shortened time to permanency in multiple recent cases and needs stable funding to expand intensive advocacy and early‑intervention supports.
Sumner County CASA asked the Nonprofit Allocation Panel on Nov. 17 for funding to sustain and expand its Court Appointed Special Advocate program—highlighting a specialized Safe Baby Court that handles infants and very young children exposed to substances.
Sonia Manfred, CASA director, and Amy Cook, Safe Baby Court coordinator, told panel members the specialty docket meets monthly and adds intensive, team‑based oversight that frequently shortens the time a child spends in DCS custody. CASA provided three recent case examples showing much shorter timelines in Safe Baby Court cases compared with many general‑docket cases. "We had cases close in six or seven months, which is a great alternative to the 18 months some cases take," Cook said.
Presenters emphasized that drug‑exposure cases often require more hands‑on advocacy for developmental assessments, early‑intervention services and medical follow‑up; they also described training and supervisory needs for volunteers assigned to those high‑needs cases. CASA said volunteers are trained and generally remain with a child from appointment through permanency, making CASA a sustained presence across case timelines.
The panel recommended funding for CASA as part of its $105,000 package and will pass that advisory recommendation to the budget committee. CASA representatives asked the county to consider continued support to keep Safe Baby Court services and volunteer training available, arguing the program both improves child outcomes and lowers long‑term costs by shortening custody timelines.
Next procedural step: the panel’s allocation recommendation will be reviewed by the budget committee in mid‑December before the full commission finalizes awards.
