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HELP FOR AT-RISK CHILDREN |
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Written by Tim Gobble, Sheriff
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Thursday, 09 April 2009 |
There are over half-a-million neglected and/or abused children in this country every year who are in need of a safe, permanent and nurturing home environment. Often, these youngsters have parents who are missing or incarcerated and the children themselves end up in the court system when what they really need is love, guidance and stability.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a non-profit, volunteer program that has been advocating on behalf of these abused and neglected children for over 30 years. The CASA branch that serves our area ~ CASA Corridor of East Tennessee ~ provides trained volunteers who are appointed by our own juvenile court judge, Daniel Swafford, to stand up for these children. CASA volunteers represent at-risk children in the legal system and work on their behalf to place them in a safe and supportive home which will help them develop in a healthy and productive manner. The last thing an abused child needs is to slip between the cracks.
Judge Swafford is a big supporter of CASA and recently swore in six court-appointed special advocates ~ the first to be utilized in Bradley County. These volunteers are carefully screened and specifically trained to address the needs of abused and neglected children who end up in juvenile court. CASA volunteers do not work for the state of Tennessee, the child's family, or any other third party. Their focus is geared solely on the child and fulfilling CASA’s mission of protecting children who are otherwise unprotected.
McMinn, Meigs and Rhea counties adopted the program in 2007, and Judge Swafford began accepting cases here in Bradley County six months ago. In that short span of time, Judge Swafford’s court and CASA volunteers have already assisted 23 at-risk children. This is a great accomplishment.
Because of the heavy case loads most courts hear each day, it is not always possible for a judge to ask in-depth questions regarding a child’s home situation. That is where the CASA representatives come in. They investigate each situation on a case-by-case basis, interview family members and possible guardians, and visit the child’s home. This helps a juvenile judge who is tasked with deciding a child’s fate.
Before he had CASA volunteers, Judge Swafford had to depend primarily on the Department of Children's Services to provide pertinent information to help him in rendering a judgement. And while the DCS does a good job, they also have heavy caseloads. Normally, CASA volunteers only work with one child or family at a time, so their caseloads are much lighter and their assistance speeds up the court process. This, in turn, helps get these at-risk children into a safe environment in a more timely manner.
The BCSO supports the CASA program and the dedicated CASA volunteers. Judge Swafford has shown himself to be forward thinking and innovative since taking the bench and he deserves credit for bringing this good program to Bradley County.
Anyone who wishes to become part of this very worthy program can contact Suzanne Wisdom at (423) 716-1844.
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