McHenry County court swears in 13 CASA volunteer advocates

Thirteen new CASA volunteers were sworn in by Judge Mary H. Nader in the McHenry County Juvenile Court of the 22nd Judicial Circuit on Friday, March 21. Judge Nader acknowledged each person’s oath to the court to serve children who have been abused or neglected to achieve each child’s best interests.

CASAs (Court Appointed Special Advocates) give children in the foster care system a voice and provide consistency within chaos. The trained CASA volunteers advocate for the children’s best interests and work to change children’s lives.

Children in foster care with an appointed CASA volunteer are returned home or adopted more quickly than children without a CASA. With a CASA, older children are more likely to graduate high school and are less likely to be incarcerated, among other significant factors.

These 13 new CASAs will cover all remaining open juvenile abuse and neglect cases in McHenry County, meaning that every child is represented by a CASA in McHenry County.

However, new cases will continue to be opened in the county.

New CASA volunteers are needed to cover all of the new cases coming into the county.

The CASA of McHenry County program will train a new set of advocates in May 2024 to help cover all of these new cases. Otherwise, the county’s children are at risk of not having someone to be their voice in the courts. Learn more about the role of CASA Advocates, or to apply, at www.CASAMcHenryCounty.org.