CASA seeks volunteers in Jackson County

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is expanding its services throughout Jackson County and the Second Judicial District, and volunteers are being sought to represent the best interests of children in the court system, according to Kayla Smith, CASA community outreach specialist and advocate supervisor.

“CASA volunteers are trained community members appointed by a judge to advocate for children involved in the court system due to abuse and neglect,” Smith said. “Volunteers help ensure a child’s needs, safety and best interests remain a priority throughout the life of a case. As CASA continues building its presence in Jackson County, the program is focused on developing strong community partnerships and increasing local support for children and families.”

The National CASA Association for Children provided a grant in 2024 to the Sunflower Children’s Collective to expand its CASA programming into the Second Judicial District. Due to legislative changes, the grant was withdrawn a few months later, but now it has been reinstated. 

CASA volunteers are trained to work with children who are victims of abuse or neglect and have an open court case, Smith said. 

“CASA volunteers are assigned to a child, and the primary purpose is to build a relationship with that child and with others involved in the child’s life, like therapists, foster parents, biological parents and any stakeholders in the case,” she said. “They advocate solely for the child’s best interests in court. Our volunteers receive all the same information an attorney would receive regarding the child. Then they compile a report for the court and make their own recommendations based on their relationship with the child.”

Volunteers must be 21 or older and pass a background check. CASA provides training for all volunteers.

Once training is complete, each volunteer is assigned a child involved in an open court case. Smith estimated that volunteers spend between six and 10 hours a month volunteering with CASA.   

“We expect our volunteers to at least meet with the child once or twice a month,” Smith said. 

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