HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The biggest thing CASA of Christian County is battling is visibility. No, they aren’t a Spanish restaurant as people often assume. This non-profit organization is comprised of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) who work with kids in the court system that have been abused or neglected.
“We don’t really have a lot of funding, and it order to support the community, we need the support of the community,” said Kira Bailey, the executive director and currently the only paid staff member, has been using her position to fight for the kids in the area since 2022.
“Right now, there are over 300 children in Christian County alone that are in the child welfare system or the Kentucky courts, and there are only 30 children that we are serving right now. So, there is a huge need,” said Mary McClearen, the program assistant for CASA. Although she is not in a paid position, her dedication to her role and the kids they serve is clear.
CASA is on the case
CASA volunteers are assigned as needed to kids in the court and foster system who have been removed from their homes. Since volunteers are a third party apart from the court system, they get the chance to really get to know the kids through the entire court process, making sure their needs are met and acting as a mentor and steady hand for the family.
“With these kids being in foster care, they don’t have consistent figures in their life. So, if you get a CASA, you potentially have a person that will be there not only through the course of your case, but will be like a mentor,” Bailey told Christian County Now.
Advocates are summoned in court with the empowering proclamation of, “We need a CASA on the case”. Bailey casually threw out this phrase when speaking to Christian County Now about the court process, and they both instantly lit up. McClearan said when you hear that phrase, it feels like they are superheroes swooping in to carry the heavy load.
It is their job to get to the bottom a child’s situation by building trust, communicating with their families, holding court officials accountable, and providing emotional support. They then report back to the judges with their findings. In order to prevent stretching volunteers too thin and making sure every kid’s needs are met, a CASA will only commit to one case at a time.
Finding their village
Recruiting volunteers with the appropriate life experience to help kids through the hardest moments of their life is not required but does help. Although the outcome of a case may not always be what an advocate envisioned for the kids, they still put their best foot forward.
Another goal of volunteers is to provide tools for the kids to grow. They open doors to all of the possibilities the kids have ahead of them, often tapping into their own life experiences that drew them to be a CASA in the first place.
Bailey recently learned how personal this job is for her, she feels she was able to achieve a lot with the limited resources and support she had growing up, and is now trying to give back, “I have no village. I created my village.” said Bailey.
Bailey and McClearen both agree that a lot of people turn a blind eye to local child abuse and neglect and live in a sort of bubble. They are hoping that through increasing awareness, they can burst that bubble and get more people to see what they are advocating for.
Growth and funding
While CASA is nationwide, passionate advocates in Christian County have the unique hurdle of getting the community more involved in their mission. They are hoping that continued awareness and increased fundraisers will bring in more funding.
When Bailey first joined CASA, they were located in a self-described shed, with no room to grow. But they recently renewed their lease with the Fiscal Court to enter the second year in their large, visible office near the courthouse that has allowed them to provide more services. They proudly furnished the building themselves, assembling furniture to customize the space to best suit families coming in.
“These are the kids that are going to be our future, so why not invest in that?” McClearen said, “It breaks my heart that not every kid that needs a CASA, has a CASA.”
New for this year is the Superhero Run fundraiser on April 20. The run is open to all ages, with the goal of raising $10,000. Those wishing to donate funds outside of the run, can do so on the CASA donation page on their website.
More funding means more training opportunities for volunteers, and more kids they can serve. Even if people don’t want to be an advocate, they can be a friend of CASA and volunteer their time to help with more minor things around the building. People who are interested in volunteering, or becoming a CASA can visit the CASA of Christian County website, and look out for volunteer training sessions.