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Casa of the Heartland asks Radcliff for $10,000 to cover service gaps and recruit volunteers
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Summary
Casa of the Heartland’s executive director told the Radcliff City Council that state funding pressures and a local volunteer shortfall have left about 20 children in Radcliff on a wait list and asked the city to consider a $10,000 allocation.
Michelle, executive director of Casa of the Heartland, asked the Radcliff City Council on March 17 to consider a local allocation to help sustain the nonprofit’s court-appointed-advocate services as state funding faces potential cuts.
Michelle said Casa served roughly 312 children across a five-county region in 2025 and that 59 of those cases involved Hardin County; about 20 children in Radcliff were on the program’s local wait list, she said. The nonprofit’s stated annual per-child cost is about $2,121, and the director described a staffing and volunteer bottleneck that limits the program’s ability to accept new cases.
"We currently have 20 children on our wait list here in Radcliff," Michelle said, describing the immediate need. She told council members the statewide CASA line item is being discussed for a possible 10–20% cut and said that reduction could translate locally into a 15–25% funding loss — which she estimated at roughly $30,000 to $50,000 for the program.
Casa also described volunteer requirements and training (about 30 hours, including court observation) and emphasized mileage reimbursement and case-management support as barriers the city-funded support could help address. "We'd be happy to be considered for whatever amount you see feasible," Michelle said, adding the program’s immediate ask was $10,000 for the upcoming fiscal year.
Mayor JJ Duvall and council members asked questions about where the nonprofit has previously obtained local support; the director said Elizabethtown and other municipalities in the service area have contributed and that the organization tailors requests to the fiscal capacity of each local government. Casa said it has on-boarded 26 new volunteers in Hardin County in the last year and that 21 of 59 Hardin County cases closed in 2025, producing permanency outcomes such as reunification or adoption.
The council did not make a funding decision at the meeting; staff said the request would be considered during upcoming budget discussions.
Funding consideration and potential next steps: Council members were told staff will include the request in budget deliberations for the coming fiscal year so members can weigh the $10,000 ask alongside other priorities.
