With a new state law requiring judges to appoint a court-appointed special advocate to every court case involving a child who has been abused or neglected, CASA of McHenry County’s caseload significantly increased.
So far, the change means the local group is serving on an additional 40 cases so far this year over the 209 served last year, according to a news release.
While the law change did not come with new funding, the state-level affiliate, Illinois CASA, successfully lobbied for more funding to meet the increased demand on local CASA offices, according to the release.
The state subsequently almost doubled the funding to Illinois CASA, which was passed on to local CASA programs. The funds are allocated to local programs based on the number of children served, and CASA of McHenry County will be receiving an additional $58,000.
To meet its growing needs, CASA of McHenry County is looking for volunteers.
It offers monthly information sessions to educate the community and potential volunteers about the role. All sessions are listed at casamchenrycounty.org, along with dates for upcoming training sessions. The next information session is at 7 p.m. Sept. 7 via Zoom.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
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