By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

A local non-profit is seeking help in supporting Livingston County children that have been uprooted from their homes.

LACASA’s Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASAs, serve as the voice of children in the foster care system. The children they support have often entered the system because they have experienced neglect or abuse. They may feel alone and afraid, with dramatic shifts happening in their lives, such as new parental figures, household surroundings, and different schools. This is where CASA volunteers and the program enter the story.

Volunteers undergo extensive training and are sworn in by a family court judge before representing a child or a group of siblings. The ultimate goal of the program is to find stable, loving, permanent homes for these children. The CASA advocate is someone, who through that process and potentially beyond, is someone that the child can trust and count on. CASAs also attend court proceedings and speak on behalf of the child. Advocates mentor and guide, being someone who shows up when they say they will and listens to their thoughts, feelings and opinions. Their friendship can even extend to activities like helping with homework and cheering the child on at school events.

The program has assisted 400 children in its 10 years, and now LACASA is asking for help in supporting it further, by donation. More information and a link to donate can be found through the link below.