April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

In honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month CASA of DuPage County, Inc. is issuing a call to action for residents and businesses of DuPage to stand against child abuse and take action to support children who have been abused or neglected.

At any given time, there are nearly 300 DuPage children in juvenile court due to abuse, neglect or dependency. These children come into the child welfare system through no fault of their own and need support and advocacy while their case is in the court system. Last year, a case was open for 39 months on average.

"The needs of DuPage's children coming into care are more complicated than ever before, and life in foster care can be chaotic," said Lisa Drake, Executive Director of CASA of DuPage County. "Every child deserves the support of caring, consistent adult with the training to help them heal and thrive."

Throughout the month of April, CASA of DuPage County is calling on members of the community to help raise awareness of Child Abuse Prevention Month and the critical work CASA of DuPage County does for the county's most precious resource: its children.

Without intervention, the odds are stacked against children in foster care. A child with a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer, however, will leave the foster care system two-and-a-half months earlier, on average, compared to a child without a CASA volunteer. Studies show children with a CASA volunteer receive more services that are critical to their well-being than children without an advocate, and those children are more likely to achieve educational success.

"CASA volunteers are a constant for the child in a time of chaos," said Kathie Paravola, Program Administrator. "A child may have multiple social workers, attorneys, therapists and foster placements throughout the life of the case but only one CASA volunteer, which can make all the difference for the child's future."

CASA of DuPage County, Inc. is a member of the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (National CASA), a nationwide network of programs in nearly 1,000 communities. At the heart of the movement are nearly 77,000 highly trained volunteers who advocate for the best interests of more than 250,000 of America's children who have been abused or neglected.

For more information about CASA of DuPage County, Inc. to become a supporter or to volunteer, visit www.dupagecasa.org or call (630-221-0889).