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Lakeway CASA needs volunteers to speak up for abused and neglected children in Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, and Sevier Counties. In-person New Volunteer Classes will begin on April 17 at the King Family Library in Sevierville and May 16 at the Public Safety Center of Walters State Community College in Morristown.

An application process is required to join the training.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are community members who volunteer with Lakeway CASA. They work with children in the child welfare system who have experienced abuse or neglect. They meet with children in person at least monthly and provide information to judges that help them make the most well-informed decisions about each child.

Volunteers receive 30 hours of pre-service training. Once training is completed, volunteers devote 10 hours a month to representing the best interests of the children they serve. Every Volunteer has the support of a CASA staff member, and child advocate team through every step of the case.

Training and educational opportunities are available each month. No special experience is needed, just an interest in helping children.

Lakeway CASA is currently advocating for over 130 children. Children who are currently experiencing the most challenging time of their young life due to abuse and neglect.

These children are suddenly removed from their home and all they know and love. These actions are to protect the child and provide a better life, but from a child’s perspective it can feel isolating and lonely.

They have school activities, doctor visits, lessons to learn, and peer pressure to deal with, and now they also have court dates, visits with parents, and check-ins with social workers.

That is where CASA intervenes. CASAs provide much-needed support through this scary time.

They take the time to get to know the child amid uncertainty and chaos. Someone who is there for the tough days, the great days, and the in-between days. Someone whose one goal is for the child to have a safe, loving, and permanent home.

CASAs ensure children do not fall through the cracks of an overburdened system.

They add much-needed advocacy for the children at the center of the court case.

Volunteering with CASA requires great commitment and time, but the rewards are life-changing for children and volunteers. CASAs build trusting relationships with children offering consistency during an uncertain time for a child. Becoming a CASA volunteer is an opportunity to impact a child’s life while giving back to the community.

If you want to learn more about becoming a CASA or this nonprofit organization, please call Lakeway CASA at 423-307-5762 or email lakewaycasainformation@gmail.com.