New advocates sworn in to serve CASA Lake County
Thirteen new volunteer advocates were sworn in on May 20 by the Lake County Juvenile Court to advocate for foster children who have suffered abuse and neglect.
The Court Appointed Special Advocates include Christine Arreola of Highland Park; Lauren Wu, Brian Coughlin and Elizabeth Coughlin of Libertyville; Jessica Cox of Antioch; Amy Gibes of Gurnee; Kelli Stanley and David MacPhail of Wauconda; Cheryl Gudella of Lake Villa; Paul Perri of Palatine; Martin Szostak of Northbrook; Diane Neuroth of Arlington Heights; and Vanessa Baie of Glendale Heights.
Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Judge Jorge Ortiz presided over the online induction ceremony.
The new CASAs join a force of nearly 300 volunteer advocates who work with CASA Lake County, a nonprofit based in Vernon Hills. The advocates support and advocate for children involved in juvenile court proceedings, doing so in a variety of ways.
They are well trained in making in-home child visits, referrals for family resources, and recommendations to the court. The goal of the CASAs is to assure that the best interests of each child are served.
CASAs work to build caring, long-term relationships with the children in their assigned cases. They also build relationships with caregivers and service providers. They report to the court regarding health, education and family issues impacting their children and may recommend actions and interventions.
The goal of a CASA is to give voice to each child's unique needs, so that the child can have a safe, permanent home.
The number of child victims of abuse and neglect has grown substantially in Lake County, as the pandemic has added new stress to family security and stability. To help protect the welfare of these children, CASA Lake County has stepped up its recruiting efforts and advocacy training program for new volunteers.
"We need CASA volunteers now more than ever," said Terri Zenner Greenberg, executive director of CASA Lake County.
"Before the pandemic, we were already seeing a significant rise in new abuse and neglect cases. But, since then, the number of children entering protective care has skyrocketed. Last year our volunteers and staff served a record 689 children.
"We have nearly 40 children on our waiting list for CASA volunteer assignments," Greenberg said. "We hope to recruit more dedicated people who can help us with our work. Volunteers with a variety of skills are appreciated. Those who are fluent in Spanish are particularly needed."
CASA volunteers must successfully complete an in-depth, 40-hour training program. Over the past year, the training has been conducted online.
Any adult interested in volunteering with CASA Lake County can contact Debra Lerner-Schmidt at dlernerschmidt@casalakecounty.com.
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