Eleven volunteers have been sworn in by Fayette County Family Court to work as court-appointed special advocates. Their job is to help children who have been abused or neglected.
They serve hundreds of children in seven Kentucky counties.
Ben Kleppinger is the director of communications for CASA of Lexington.
“Each CASA volunteer meets with the child they are matched with each month, they spend time with them and get to know them, often better than anyone else on the case does. They can alert the judge if there are problems the child is facing, if the child isn't getting the kind of educational or medical care they need.”
CASA volunteers also interview adults involved in the children’s lives, including biological parents, foster parents, teachers, counselors, and doctors.
They have access to all records concerning the children, enabling them to gain a thorough understanding of each child’s situation and what they need to succeed.
Kleppinger said many more volunteers are needed.
“Over the last couple of years, the rate of new child abuse and neglect has been outpacing the number of volunteers we have available. We have typically been able to serve one out of every five abused and neglected children that are in the family court system.”
Kleppinger said Kentucky has the fourth-highest rate of child abuse and neglect in the United States. This means the family court system is overloaded.
CASA volunteers serve about five to ten hours a month, but Kleppinger says that time goes a long way in helping kids in Kentucky.
