Six new CASA volunteers sworn in while social distancing

March 31, 2020 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Six new Court Appointed Special Advocates were sworn in as officers of the court by Judge Brady over speaker phone last week during a modified swearing-in ceremony which allowed for proper social distancing.

The swearing-in ceremony was the final step for becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate, following a two-week training course which covered topics like trauma, resiliency, poverty, mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and the role of the CASA volunteer.

These volunteers are now ready to advocate for children in the Pikes Peak Region during their time in the child welfare system. Each volunteer will be assigned to an open Dependency & Neglect case so that they may speak up for and advocate for the child or children on that case.

CASA continues to work on behalf of the most vulnerable children in our community, even while Colorado residents are under a stay-at-home order due to COVID-19. With school not in session, children are not regularly exposed to teachers and other mandated reporters who may, under normal circumstances, notice and report suspected abuse. This means that children who are at risk for abuse and neglect or more vulnerable now than they were a month ago.

At any given time, there are approximately 830 children in the Pikes Peak Region who need a CASA volunteer to be a consistent and safe presence in their lives. Thanks to the newest volunteers, six more children will benefit from this important service.

The new advocates who are now available to take cases are Jason Jacobson, Sandra Kraus, Tara Loo, Curtis Maberry, Jeremiah Sweet, and Hayley Tuggle.

CASA is still looking for more volunteers to stop the cycle of abuse and change the world one child at a time. Interested parties can visit www.casappr.org for more information.