Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Casa topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
CASA director warns volunteer ranks are thin, urges more men to apply
Summary
Holly, CASA director, told commissioners volunteer recruitment is lagging and younger volunteers cycle out quickly; she urged more male volunteers for teenage cases and described average volunteer caseload time and training requirements.
Holly, who oversees the county’s CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program, described recruitment challenges and the program’s reliance on volunteers and a small number of paid staff. She said volunteer turnover has risen and younger volunteers often serve limited periods; the average case length for a volunteer is about 14 months.
“We desperately need more men to volunteer, especially for some of the teenage boys that we have right now,” Holly said, stressing the value of male role models for older youth. She also explained staffing and grant line adjustments, including shifts of a child‑advocate intake specialist salary to a VOCA grant line and contingency plans tied to delayed Lilly Foundation awards. Commissioners asked for detail on volunteer counts, training time (commonly 8–10 hours a month) and how budgets cover volunteer coordinators.
Why it matters: CASA volunteers provide court‑appointed oversight for children in abuse/neglect and dependency cases; recruitment shortfalls can increase caseloads for paid advocates and risk continuity for children. Holly asked the council to keep recruitment and small‑salary adjustments in view during budget decisions.
Provenance: topic introduced SEG 628; topic last discussed SEG 1043.
