Brenham, Texas – CASA for Kids of South Central Texas is calling for community members to step up and advocate for children and families involved in the child welfare system in our local area.

“Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing, many of us have been feeling increased stress, anxiety and isolation. Children involved in the foster care system are no exception,” said Mandy Wright, Executive Director of CASA for Kids of South Central Texas. “While we can’t physically be by their side right now, we still want the children who is in foster care right here in our community to know they have an advocate on their side. With so much uncertainty in the world, we want to help give these kids peace of mind, stability and connection. We want them to feel safety and comfort.” 

Volunteers with CASA for Kids of South Central Texas are known as CASA volunteers, or Court Appointed Special Advocates. These CASA volunteers advocate for a child or sibling group while they are in foster care. CASA volunteers advocate in the courtroom, school and other settings for the best interest of the child they are representing, help them stay connected with their families and communities, and work towards family reunification whenever safe and possible.

Now is a great time to get involved with CASA, Wright said. With info sessions, pre-service volunteer training and swearing-in ceremonies currently conducted online, you can make a difference in the lives of children and families in the foster care system—right from your own home.

“COVID-19 has changed how we conduct our advocacy work, but it has not changed our drive and passion to serve the children and families of this community,” said Wright. “We are taking precautions with how we conduct our training, visits with children and families, volunteer supervision and events to ensure the safety of all involved.”

As a part of their new operating procedures, CASA for Kids of South Central Texas is conducting Digital training and information sessions. In addition to this, precautions like digital visits on Zoom, ensuring volunteers if they choose to visit in person, wear masks and maintain safe distances are set in place to help prevent spread among the community.
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“We are here to serve the children and families of Austin, Colorado, Waller & Washington Counties. We want to do that as safely as possible for the sake of those we serve, our staff, our volunteers and the greater public,” said Wright. “We never want a child in foster care to go without a CASA volunteer, especially now. That’s why we need our community to stand up and join us in our advocacy.”
If you’ve been looking for a unique way to serve your community, join the CASA movement. What better time than now? If you’d like to find out more about becoming a CASA volunteer or other ways to get involved, visit BecomeACASA.org or wespeak4kids.org. 

​Brenham, Texas – The start of a new year often comes with a list of resolutions. New Year’s resolutions are different for everyone, but one of the most common is to live a healthier lifestyle. If you’re hoping to improve your physical and mental health, there’s one option that often gets overlooked and benefits others – volunteering.

Volunteering and helping others has been found to benefit both physical and mental health, and there are a variety of options in our community. If you’re looking for a new way to make changes in your life and in the lives of others, consider resolving to help children and families by volunteering with CASA for Kids of South Central Texas.