Rotary supports child advocates program

A grant provided by the Rotary Club of Smith Mountain Lake has allowed the Southern Virginia Child Advocacy Center to recruit and train local volunteers as Court Appointed Special Advocates.

Through an extensive recruitment strategy, including print media, radio advertisements, speaking engagements and the use of social media, local volunteers received 40 hours of training on topics such as dynamics of child abuse and neglect, child development, the impact of substance abuse, conflict resolution, the court system and victim advocacy in order to provide judicial advocacy to children impacted by abuse and neglect.

CASA volunteers are recruited, screened and trained to investigate cases; submit reports to the court addressing issues of safety, individual and family needs and permanency; assist the Guardians ad Litem; and monitor cases for compliance with court orders on cases including child abuse and neglect, children in need of supervision/services and custody petitions that include allegations of abuse and neglect.

In addition to covering the costs associated with recruitment of volunteers, the Rotary Club provided funds for needed supplies and refreshments used during training. Club members also supported the creation of 2,000 brochures identifying the work of CASA, local contacts to report concerns of abuse and neglect, and the state child abuse hotline for the Department of Social Services.

“We are honored to have long-standing partnerships with the SML Rotary and the Rocky Mount Rotary clubs,” said Joyce Moran, executive officer, Southern Virginia Child Advocacy Center. “We were pleased to be running two Rotary-sponsored campaigns this spring. While the recruitment/training project was underway for new CASAs, we were also working on a matching grant with Rocky Mount Rotary and Rotary International to improve and enhance the safety and child friendliness of the Child Advocacy Center. With the matching grant funds, we added a TV and DVD to the facility’s waiting room; will remodel an outside patio area; added new murals to the victim services floor; and secured window tinting to assist in reflecting the morning glare and heat in the front offices.”

Tammi Mitchell, Lynne Decker, Michele Kordich and George Moonan were sworn-in as new CASAs on May 9.

For more information, contact the Southern Virginia Child Advocacy Center at 484-5566 or visit www.southernvacac.org.

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