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Court-appointed special advocates directors and volunteers from across the state traveled to the Indiana Statehouse on Tuesday to celebrate the second CASA Day since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a sea of blue, judges and volunteers told the stories of the impact CASAs have on Hoosiers’ lives, along with launching a new marketing campaign to inspire people to volunteer.
GAL/CASA State Director Rae Feller began the program by stating that the way they are able to do their work is through judicial support.
“I just cannot emphasize enough that the only way we can have successful programs is to have judicial support,” Feller said. “So thank you, judges.”
According to the Indiana Supreme Court Office of Court Services’ Children and Families Division, 18,478 children were served in 2023.
Also in 2023, there were 470 new volunteers and 19,400 hours spent on continuing education by volunteers.
Across the state, 87 out of 92 counties in Indiana have certified GAL/CASA programs.
Court of Appeals of Indiana Judge Dana Kenworthy spoke alongside Senior Judge Darrin Dolehanty about the work CASA volunteers do.
Kenworthy said she recently saw the Broadway production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and remarked that the character of Dill would have been the “1950s version of a CHINS child.”
“You know that your children, despite all odds, are remarkably resilient,” Kenworthy said. “They teach us about the strength of the human spirit, about goodness, about faith, about unconditional love and kindness.”
Dolehanty recognized many of the CASA volunteers along with one in his home county, Wayne County, where a child was relocated several times but stayed connected with their CASA throughout the process. That child was recently adopted.
“How blessed are we in her dedication in changing that child’s life story,” Dolehanty said.
Both Kenworthy and Dolehanty encouraged the volunteers to be ambassadors of the program and encourage others to volunteer. They gave several examples of CASAs saving children’s lives.
“We could do this all day,” Dolehanty said.
One young woman, Sarah, was recently adopted on her 14th birthday.
Sarah told her story of being moved around several times for more than six years. One thing that didn’t change in her life during those years, she said, was the support of her two CASAs.
Sarah read a letter she wrote to her two CASAs thanking them for their care and compassion.
“You guys have been with me since Day One of my life being turned upside down,” she said. “You were still there on the best day of my life, my adoption.”
Brown County CASA volunteer David Cole spoke on the importance of their work. He recalled the first time he had to sit on the witness stand and recommend that a parent’s rights be terminated.
“I did so through my tears,” Cole said. “I hoped that every time I’d have to do that, I would never have to do it again. But that pain has to be part of the experience.”
Cole thanked the Indiana General Assembly for its support but asked for double the support for foster care and mental health.
Feller added that CASA Day is one of the best days of her job.
“I truly mean this: Any time I can connect with our volunteers are the best days at my job because our volunteers are salt-of-the-earth, community-driven folks that are getting out there and taking on such a difficult role in these cases,” she said.
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