Palatine residents take oath as CASA volunteers
Carol Mullarkey and Christy Neal-Garcia, both residents of Palatine, were sworn in by the Lake County Juvenile Court to advocate for Lake County children who have been victims of neglect and abuse.
The volunteers will work as Court Appointed Special Advocates in conjunction with CASA Lake County. They join a force of almost 300 volunteer advocates who work to protect children involved in Lake County Juvenile Court proceedings.
Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Judge Christopher B. Morozin presided over the online ceremony that inducted 11 volunteers from 10 suburbs on Nov. 19.
"CASA volunteers are needed now more than ever," said Terri Zenner Greenberg, executive director of CASA Lake County.
"Since the start of the pandemic, more children are entering protective care than ever before. Every Lake County agency that works with children in foster care is overwhelmed. For the first time in decades, our program has over 100 children on our waiting list for volunteer assignments. We need many more people who can help us with our work."
Lake County has experienced an unprecedented rise in new abuse and neglect cases before the 19th Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court. The rate of new cases has increased by two to three times the rate from just a few years prior, causing the number of active cases to rise by more than 50% over the same time frame.
This has exceeded the capacity of already thinly-stretched child welfare agencies and programs.
Among peer counties in the Chicago metropolitan area, Lake County has seen a surge of child victims of abuse and neglect far greater than others.
CASA volunteers perform a valuable service to more than 500 children in Lake County. Most of the children are in foster care. The goal of CASA is to help move kids efficiently through the court system into safe, permanent homes where they will have an opportunity to thrive.
CASA volunteers must successfully complete an in-depth, 40-hour training program. The program prepares them to help ensure that the best interests of children are being served and that juvenile court judges are aware of all issues that impact those interests. In recent months, the training has been conducted online.
"The current public health crisis is exacerbating existing problems in family relationships and stability, and has made many already difficult situations worse. Providing CASA services today is more important than ever, and we need more volunteers who can help us make a difference," said Greenberg.
Adults interested in volunteering with CASA Lake County can contact Suzanne Cash at scash@casalakecounty.com.
• Submit 'Your News' at www.dailyherald.com/share.