CASA Partners with Court System

In a perfect world, every child would have a happy, loving home. Sadly, our world is far from perfect and children often suffer at the hands of those who are supposed to love and protect them. When abuse occurs, these children need someone to stand up for them, to be their voice and that is just what CASA does. Lakeway CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate,is a non-profit volunteer program that works in Hamblen and Jefferson County to improve the lives of these children and help them find a stable, loving, permanent home.

CASA partners with the court system and the Department of Children’s Sevices and CASA volunteers act as special friends to the children they service, seeking only what is best for the child. Volunteers conduct home visits and interviews that the courts are unable to conduct because of time constraints and lack of resources. This expedites the child’s placement into a loving permanent home. Without CASA, children can often languish in the court system for months and details critical to the healing of the child may be overlooked.

Lakeway CASA is made up of ten child advocate volunteers and ten board members with a staff of one full-time Executive Director and one part-time assistant. Debra Loyd is the Executive Director and it is a position she is passionate about. Lakeway CASA operates completely on donations and Mrs. Loyd is proud of the way the organization is embraced by local communities. Participation and fund-raising continues to grow with support coming from local churches, individuals and businesses. 86 children were served by Lakeway CASA last year and that number is expected to grow this year. Lakeway CASA hopes to add a Jefferson County Volunteer Coordinator soon and Mrs. Loyd stresses that they are always looking for volunteers. Each volunteer is given a complete background check, 30 hours of training and 8 hours of court attendance before they begin any work with a child. Each volunteer works with 1 or 2 family groups at a time to ensure each child receives the best possible help.

The Honorable Mindy Norton Seals says in a statement from the Court System that “A CASA volunteer comes to the rescue……”. They may not hide their identity and they don’t wear a costume and cape, but CASA volunteers are real life superheros, protecting the rights of children and working to bring every child a “happily ever after”.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or you would like more information on how you can help a child, please contact Lakeway CASA at 423-307-5762.