The Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in Allen County is comprised of more than 135 volunteers to provide a voice for children involved in abuse and neglect cases.
Thanks for joining us.tonight... a local organization against child abuse and neglect celebrated the hard work.staff of 'casa' able to enjoy the day at the fort wayne children's zoo.
Fox 55's mallory beard met with some of the volunteers and their families to dig deeper into why they're so committed to children of allen county.
Nancy springer says child neglect and abuse can't continue in allen county.nancy springer//casa director"it's a struggle.
These are very serious concerns.
These are not easy problems to fix."she and the court appointed special advocates celebrated casa day to recognize the volunteers who help children in troubled households.nancy springer//casa director"they look at all aspects of the case and make recommendations to the court about what's really in the children's best interest."casa works closely with the department of child services and the allen county superior court.they advocate for children at birth through age eighteen.
Sometimes past that.nancy springer//casa director"and so they take many many months sometimes even years to get families back on the right track."donell housel worked with students for over four decades as a teacher and now volunteers for casa.she says these problems are why she has to continue with her work.donell housel//casa volunteer"a lot of neglect and drug use in parents."she says the fighting and dysfunction within households can cause children to withdraw emotionally.sometimes leading to disengagement from school and even physical illness donell housel//casa volunteer "trauma can not only affect children in the present, but also could lead to things like cancer, heart disease, eventually later in life."
Housel says some casa children are responsive to the volunteer services provided... donell housel//casa volunteer "not just surviving but thriving.
Having opportunities to develop their athletic and artistic abilities."but for other children, she says it's harder to get on track because they're so angry.or protective 3 of a parent who may have mistreated them.donell housel//casa volunteer "children will always be loyal to their parents.
But it's a matter of getting them to think about themselves and how they can escape that cycle that they've been in."michael howell says he's here to see the children and family through their problems.michael howell //casa volunteer"for me the commitment is to see that the family, the adults are given every opportunity to change what the environment is in fort wayne, i'm mallory beard.
Fox 55 news.
3 if you'd like to become a volunteer for the court appointed special advocates for children, you can call 449-7190 or view this story at wfft.com for
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