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CASA director urges Montgomery County residents to volunteer after surge in child-abuse petitions
Summary
Beth Ellis, executive director of the regional CASA program, asked the Montgomery County Fiscal Court and community members to recruit volunteers and modest local support; she said in 2025 the region saw 487 child abuse petitions and that CASA served 25 of 72 filings in Montgomery County.
Beth Ellis, executive director of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for the Gateway region, asked Montgomery County residents and court members on Feb. 17 to consider serving as volunteer advocates for children in abuse and neglect cases.
"We are not attorneys and we're not social workers. We are merely just advocates," Ellis said, explaining that CASA volunteers are community members who undergo training to represent a child's interests while the child is in the court system. She said the CASA program serving the region covers eight counties and that, in 2025, 487 child-abuse petitions were filed across that service area.
Ellis told the court that Montgomery County had 72 child-abuse petitions in 2025 and that CASA volunteers served 25 of those children. "Currently, I have 3 volunteers in Montgomery County," she said, and urged community members to apply, noting the application, screening and background-check process.
Ellis described volunteers drawn from varied backgrounds — "I've got nurses, I've got retired military, I've got retired KSP" — and said the program also depends on fundraising and grants. She asked local officials to consider modest financial support and said CASA would follow up with the court to discuss ways the county could assist.
The court received Ellis's materials and thanked her for the presentation. No formal action was taken during the meeting.
