CASA Kane County reports urgent need for more volunteers

GENEVA – Court Appointed Special Advocates Kane County is urgently seeking more people willing to be volunteers on behalf of abused and neglected children, the agency announced in a news release.

CASA Kane County is a unique GAL – guardian ad litem program – which means that volunteers are appointed as officers of the court and are significantly relied upon by judges to act in the court case on behalf of a child.

CASA Kane County has experienced the same downward trend in volunteers as the national and Illinois CASAs, as well as many other national nonprofits, citing the pandemic as reasons to have dropped off or stayed away, according to the release.

CASA Kane County Executive Director Jim Di Ciaula said a dramatic rise in child abuse cases the agency began to see during the pandemic is not showing any signs of slowing down.

“CASA has experienced a 217% increase in cases since the pandemic started,” Di Ciaula said in the release. “For the first time in history, we have a record level of children awaiting a CASA/GAL volunteer.”

In 2019, CASA served 332 children; in 2020, 431 children; 572 in 2021; and 561 children this year as of mid-July, according to the agency’s statistics.

It is expected that CASA Kane County will serve more than 600 children this year, according to the release.

While waiting for more volunteers who are willing to be trained, staff advocate supervisors cover these children so CASA can continue to serve all the cases, Di Ciaula said in the release.

“Consequently, CASA must aggressively recruit volunteers on an ongoing basis to be able to continue keeping up with the numbers,” he said in the release. “Even though we serve every abuse or neglect child case originating from Kane County, more than 40% of children served are placed with relatives, foster homes or group residential facilities in and around Illinois.”

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has advised CASA and the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office that it expects numbers will continue to rise for some time, as will the growing service areas,” Di Ciaula said in the release.

Chief Judge Clint Hull put CASA’s work into perspective, writing recently that a child abuse or neglect case “on average would take 18 months, with an estimated cost of $36,000 a case.”

For 2021, 198 cases were filed, with the total guardian ad litem program cost estimated at $7.13 million.

“If CASA didn’t exist in Kane County, we would be forced to work together to find a way to appoint GALs, but significantly reduce the amount of time the GAL spent on the case in order to reduce our expenses,” Hull wrote.

“This, of course, would be detrimental to the children, family and the court system.”

The annual cost to recruit, train, supervise and manage a CASA/GAL volunteer – in addition to providing incidentals and life essentials to a youth – is $5,000 per foster child. Donations as small as $25 can provide a hygiene care package for a foster youth, according to the release.

The average length of each case is one to three years.

Research proves that CASA advocacy works, as studies show that children who have been assigned CASA volunteers are significantly less likely to spend time in long-term foster care, according to the release.

A child with a CASA volunteer also is more likely to do better in school, have better conduct and more likely to find a permanent home.

Children with a CASA volunteer have greater access to doctors, dentists and other medical and mental health professionals for their ongoing well-being, according to the release.

For children whose pasts have been chaotic and whose futures are uncertain, the CASA volunteer is frequently the most consistent, interested presence in their lives.

“CASA Kane County is here to remind the community that it takes a village to raise a child – more than ever,” Di Ciaula said in the release. “As school starts, cases will go up yet again because eyes will be on our kids again.”

Volunteers come from every background and range from age 21 and older. They need no prior training. CASA trains and supports volunteers, according to the release.

“We are beginning to encourage couples, co-workers, friends and family members to share this experience together in a buddy system,” Di Ciaula said in the release. “Being a CASA is a unique way to love children and our community as a whole. Our volunteers are among the most respected in the community.”

To learn more about being a CASA volunteer, visit www.casakanecounty.org or call 630-232-4484.