I was a volunteer speaker for CASA of DuPage County in 2003-2004. CASA is an organization making a difference for victims of child abuse and neglect in DuPage County. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA's) are trained community volunteers who are appointed by a juvenile or family court judge to speak for the best interest of abused and neglected children who are brought before the court. CASA volunteers are assigned to one case at a time, enabling them to give the case the attention it deserves. The CASA volunteer acts as a voice for the child during the life of the case, ensuring that the child remains safe, until there is a permanent solution. Each year, 3 million children are reported abused or neglected in the United States. Over 25,000 cases of abuse or neglect were reported in 2002 in Illinois - 849 of those cases were in DuPage County. (see "Sarah's Story") Click here for a fact sheet on CASA. Child Abuse is the mistreatment of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caretaker, someone living in the child's home, or someone who works with or around children. The mistreatment must cause injury or must put the child at risk of physical injury. Child abuse can be physical (such as burns, broken bones), sexual (such as fondling or incest) or emotional. Child Neglect happens when a parent or responsible caretaker fails to provide adequate supervision, food, clothing, shelter, or other basics for a child. If you suspect child abuse or neglect, please call the Child Abuse Hotline at 800-25-ABUSE (800-252-2873). For more information, contact Department of Children and Family Services. If you are interested in becoming a part of the solution to child abuse and neglect in DuPage County, click here for ways to help. If you would like to arrange to have someone come and speak to your organization about CASA, please contact: Website: www.dupagecasa.org National website: www.nationalcasa.org (the national organization) Thank you. /s/ Robert Brandt Speaker 2003-2004 |
