Judge Glenda Hatchett is no stranger to the public eye. Having had her own family court television show, “Judge Hatchett,” she has developed a very loyal following and a tremendous amount of respect. And those who follow her know that what she does on television is no act — she’s an extremely passionate advocate for children.
She’s now using her celebrity and passion to spread the word about the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association. She tells rolling out what the organization is about, how it benefits the children it reaches, and what you can do to help. –gerald radford
What is CASA?
CASA stands for court appointed special advocates. We’re a volunteer-based organization there to give support to children who are in foster care.
Why is it important to get the word out?
With this economic downturn we have seen a real spike in the numbers of children coming into foster care.
What results have you seen from the CASA program?
Research tells us that a child who has a CASA volunteer assigned to them will spend a shorter amount of time in foster care. And a child who has a CASA volunteer is less likely to come back.
How can someone get involved?
They can go to the Web site, nationalcasa.org, or they can just call the local listings and ask for the local CASA office in their area. We’re in all 50 states and will train you and put you to work. People often ask, ‘What is the commitment?’ and we say it’s about an average of four hours a month.
Are there any special credentials required to volunteer?
No. All you need to be is at least 21 and [have] a caring heart … and we will train you. You have to go to court to be with the child, but you are not representing the child, you are just there to help support them. … It is really a wonderful organization, we just need volunteers.
