Information provided by Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) For Children
McPHERSON, Kan. — Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) For Children will be having a come and go Princess Party at MPNaz Church, 1455 N Main, in McPherson on Aug. 26 from 11:30 to 2:30 p.m.
On Aug. 10 at the McPherson Chamber of Commerce Chamber Connection, CASA For Children Executive Director Leslie Guinn shared information about the event and about the organization. Alongside Guinn was Volunteer Supervisor Katlynn Miller.
At the Princess Party on Aug. 26 there will be two princesses at the party: Belle and Tiana, who will be there to do a meet and greet, sing a long, give princess lessons, princess dance lessons, play princess games, and take photos with guests.
Not only will there be a craft table to make tiaras, but the Princess Party will also have a nail table to get nails painted and a hair station for hair to get curled.
There will also be cake pops, punch and cookies. The cookies will be decorated at the party.
The event is free, but donations are welcome.
Volunteers are also welcome according to Guinn, so if you would like to volunteer to help with the party or a different CASA event, you can reach out to the CASA Facebook page or email Guinn at [email protected].
About CASA For Children:
Court-appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteers advocate on behalf of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. They help to ensure that children are safe, have a permanent home and are where they are given the best opportunities . The volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for a child’s best interests and they serve children who come to the court system from birth through the age of 18, staying with each case until it is closed and the child is in a safe, permanent home. This is to ensure that a child who has gone through a pattern of instability in their life doesn’t have to go through it again or never has to go through that if they haven’t experienced it before. The volunteers work with legal and child welfare professionals, educators and service providers to make sure that judges have all the information they need to make the most well-informed decision for each child.
The volunteers are regular people who have all been thoroughly screened and trained extensively by their local program (an independent non-profit agency). Each volunteer receives more than 30 hours of training before they work with a child, with additional continuing education required annually. They are assigned to only one or two cases at a time, staying involved on the case until the child achieves permanency. This way, they can focus on their one child, making them a priority and giving them the clearest guidance.
CASA believes that it is within the children’s best interest that they grow and develop best with their family of origin, if they can achieve it safely. Most children the volunteers work with are in foster care, but some are with their family of origin. Most children who leave foster care do so to return to their family according to the organization.
To become a CASA volunteer, visit 9thcasa.org/volunteer
Harvey County Citizen Review Board:
A Citizen Review Board (CRB) is composed of trained community volunteers who serve as advisors to the judge on selected cases concerning children who are in out-of-home placements. The CRB assesses proposed case plans and progress toward the goals established by the case plan. The purpose of a CRB’s case review is to assure that children do not linger unnecessarily in foster care and to promote a permanent and safe home for each child reviewed.
The agency is a proud recipient of Harvey County United Way and United Way of McPherson County. For more information, visit 9thcasa.org
