August 20, 2000

CASA: 10 years of shielding children

The theme of remarks from the podium and comments in the crowd Tuesday at the 10th anniversary celebration for CASA was this: commitment to the well-being of children.

The purpose of Court Appointed Special Advocates is for volunteers appointed by judges to act in the interests of children when cases involving them are going through the court system.

From the vision of Agnes Reiter to the leadership of Judy Reiter to the dedication of volunteers to the support from judges, agencies and organizations, it was noted that all were working to make sure that the best interests of each child were pursued.

There is no way to measure the positive effects that have come through 10 years of efforts by CASA volunteers, but it is safe to say that most of the 1,444 youngsters represented fared better during and after their court experiences than they would have without CASA.

County Commissioner Janet Dell said, "Looking back on the last 10 years, I wonder how we got by without you (CASA)."

Looking at CASA's record, it would be hard to envision moving into the future without these advocates available to look out for children facing the legal system.