This month is National Foster Care Month, a time we strive to raise awareness about issues faced by youth and children in the child welfare and foster care system, as well as acknowledge the dedication of the people who support and help children in the system ultimately find safe, permanent homes and lasting connections.

According to numbers recently released by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, 95 children from Marshall County were in the state’s foster care system in 2022. They were among the 6,600 children from across Iowa and 391,000 from across the nation who faced upheaval and uncertainty due to difficult family situations..

But you can make a difference for local youth and children even if you are not in a position to become a foster parent. Volunteers with the Iowa Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program in Hardin County are in an ideal position to advocate for appropriate and effective services to improve the well-being of the children and youth for whom they serve.

The CASA program pairs a specially trained volunteer with a child in the system and ensures that the child’s perspective and voice is uplifted and shared with the judge when important decisions are being made. To do this, they regularly visit the child and get to know them, their families, and their situations.

The CASA volunteer also collaborates with social workers, service providers, and educators involved in the case to ensure the child is receiving all they need to thrive, including effective and individualized mental and behavioral health supports. The volunteer stays on the case, ensuring it progresses in a safe and timely manner until it is resolved and the child has permanency through reunification, guardianship with relatives, or adoption.

CASA volunteers are only assigned one case at a time to ensure they can focus on that one child and family, which is why more volunteers are needed. Our goal is to have a CASA volunteer for every child that needs one.

The CASA program was created with the purpose of providing the judge a more informed and personalized view of the child whose case they are presiding over, but the program also provides regular citizens of all backgrounds and experiences a meaningful way to get involved and make a positive impact on the lives of local children and youth in the foster care and child welfare system.

To become a volunteer, a person must submit an application and undergo a background check. Pre-service training is then provided in topics such as juvenile justice, trauma, social services, and child development. CASA Coaches and coordinators also provide assistance and support as new volunteers learn the processes and procedures.

We urge you to observe National Foster Care Month and consider whether volunteering with CASA fits with your personal interests and desire to make a difference.

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Teresa Barnes is the Program Coordinator for the Iowa Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program in Marshall County. For more information on the CASA program, visit childadvocacy.iowa.gov.