Michigan CASA network expands

By summer’s end children in the Van Buren County foster care system will have access to a Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASA volunteers, appointed by a family court judge to be the voice of that child in court, go through specialized training and are constantly supported by a professional team.

“When Michigan CASA approached Executive Director Lori Ankoviak and I about expanding into Van Buren County, without hesitation we said yes,” CASA Manager Lauren Miller stated. “We look forward to providing a voice to children in Van Buren County.”

A CASA is a person who is a positive influence, a consistent caring adult, a witness of the facts, a specially trained and sworn in representative, a friend with a large heart, and most importantly a person who can change an abused or neglected child’s life. CASA volunteers can wear many hats to be the advocate of a child in the family court system.

CASA volunteers build a relationship with the child to understand and advocate for the best interest of the child, whether it is recommending services for them or their family, expressing the child’s unique situation in court, or explaining what is happening to the child.

Van Buren County CASA will join Allegan County CASA under the new name: CASA of the Harbor.  It will be housed under the Child Advocacy Center Safe Harbor Advocacy Center in Allegan, Michigan (https://safeharborcac.org).