April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and the Court Appointed Special Advocate program has started a project to help raise awareness here in Blaine County.
This year, CASA volunteer coordinator Heather Jones started a program to bring awareness to the 38 confirmed cases of child abuse in Blaine County in 2020.
Jones did so by setting up a fundraiser in which wooden figures of children were set up on the front lawn of the Blaine County Courthouse.
These figures were each dressed up in an outfit provided by those who sponsor one of the child figures.
Sponsoring a child costs $25 and the money raised from this fundraiser goes towards the training CASA provides to its volunteers.
While it is now too late to sponsor one of the wooden figures, those interested in doing so will have a chance next year.
“I plan on making it an annual project... This year was somewhat difficult to get the project up and going, but I believe once people see the wooden children on the courthouse lawn and realize the purpose of them, it will be better accepted next year,” Jones said.
Having been only the first year that Jones undertook this project, she managed to help raise a total of $950 from the fundraiser. The wooden figures will remain on the courthouse lawn until the end of the month.
“It helps provide the training material to keep [volunteers] up-to-date on what they do with the children that are advocating for,” Jones said.
Jones currently has four active volunteers in the Blaine County area. These volunteers get assigned to be an advocate for a child in need.
The role of a CASA volunteer is to visit the child they are assigned to on a daily basis. They prepare court reports and document the contact they have had with the child's service providers, parents, and caseworkers.
All of this is taught to the volunteers during their fiveweek training period.
“With the CASA advocates, they're the only constant person in a child's life. We ask them to remain on the case until the case closes either when a child either is reunified, when the child's adopted, or ages out,” Jones said. “Children in DHS constantly change placements or they change workers. So this [volunteer] is a main constant and a reliable person in this child’s life throughout the entire case. The CASA volunteer is [the child’s] voice and they're looking out for that child’s best interest.”
For those interested in volunteering for the CASA program, you can contact the main office in Enid at 580-242-1153 and ask about volunteering in the Blaine County area.
“I would like to thank everyone who sponsored a wooden child to help bring awareness to child abuse and neglect, it is greatly appreciated. I also want to give a special thank you to Denice Green, Beth Massey, and Matthew Reiber for their help,” Jones said. “I would not have been able to complete what was accomplished with the selling and the set up wooden children without all their help. I am very grateful for their help and time.”