Pam Grady, Voices for Children presents.

The mission of Voices for Children is to ensure that the best interest of abused and neglected children are represented in the Howard County Circuit Court. All children referred to Voices for Children will be matched with a volunteer whose efforts are directed at expediting the placement of children into safe and permanent homes. Voices for Children was started in 1990 by a local attorney, who read an article in a law journal describing a national movement started by a Seattle Juvenile Court Judge David Soukup. In order to get essential information so he could make better decisions on the lives of abused and neglected children, he asked for volunteers in the community to become Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA’s).

Every child referred to Voices for Children is matched with a CASA volunteer who reports findings and recommendations directly to the Juvenile Master in the form of a formal, written court report at least twice a year. This report outlines the advocate’s activities, the child’s background, present circumstances, psychological and physical needs and recommends permanent placement and appropriate services for the child.

The provision of court reports as well as providing active support for the child beyond the court proceedings ensures that the child receives the services and attention that were court-ordered and monitors changing needs. The CASA volunteer gives the child a welcomed sense of consistency, helping to restore the child’s self-esteem, damaged first by the abuse suffered and then by the frightening legal process.

The goal of the program is to provide trained CASA volunteers to all children referred to us by the Howard County Circuit Court. Recruitment of volunteers to be matched to 70 children this year is our primary objective.

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