Throughout the state, there are many opportunities to serve children – becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate is a great one!
Oklahoma CASA is a non-profit organization that has 19 programs across the state with the goal of advocating for children involved in the child welfare system and improving their well-being.
111Project Regional Manager Misty Seale has been a CASA for over eight years and got involved because she was searching for a way to directly serve one-on-one with children in the welfare system. When she began volunteering, there were over 300 children in Cleveland County waiting for a CASA.
“My favorite aspect of being a CASA is the opportunity that it gives to not only change the trajectory of a child’s life for the better, but also the biological families and foster families that you are able to pour into and love on,” Seale said.
111Project Storyteller Chelsea Weeks just finished her CASA training and was sworn in last month in Mayes County. Through CASA, she hopes to pour love and empowerment into everyone involved in the court process.
“CASA provides a great way to learn what a child, foster family and biological family faces when going through the court system,” Weeks said. “Everyone involved – foster parents, children, biological parents, judges, attorneys and case workers – need support. The work they are doing is heavy and I feel honored to be a part of this ecosystem.”
111Project Regional Manager Jason Grewe is waiting to start the training to become a CASA in Wagoner and Muskogee counties. It has been laid on Jason’s heart to do all he can to help children and speak life and encouragement to parents in need of support.
“I am most looking forward to meeting everyone involved in the process and seeing how I can come alongside them to breathe life and hope into their situation,” Grewe said. “Whether that is the biological parent, the child, the foster parent or even the caseworker and attorneys.”
The process of becoming a CASA includes contacting your local CASA program to fill out an application, complete an interview, complete a background check, complete 30 hours of training and take the oath before a judge.
“Even as an organization that is already advocating for children in the foster care system, I love encouraging our staff to get involved in deeper waters like CASA,” 111Project Executive Director Chris Campbell said. “I think other employers, including church leaders, should really encourage their staff to get involved and make space for them to be a part. CASA is also a great first step for individuals considering becoming foster and adoptive parents.”
Find a CASA program near you at https://oklahomacasa.org/.