 The Athens County Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian Ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Program is a local non-profit organization that advocates for abused and neglected children who are involved with Juvenile Court. Our program utilizes trained, local volunteers to serve as a neutral party in all court proceedings and who make recommendations to the court about what is in the child’s best interest. Our main goal is to make sure that all children are in permanent and safe homes. CASA/GAL volunteers are ordinary people doing extraordinary work for abused and neglected children. Presently, the Athens CASA/GAL program utilizes over 20 volunteers and serves over 100 children. According to a number of studies, children assigned to a CASA/GAL volunteer spend less time in the court system and receive more services that kids who do not have CASA/GAL representation, and are more likely to be placed in permanent homes. There are many ways to become involved with CASA/GAL. Become a volunteer, hold a fundraiser, or make a donation, which can be done quickly by using the form on the left of this page. To get more information about the Athens CASA/GAL Program and/or becoming a volunteer, see below and contact Executive Director, Rebecca Miller at (740) 592-3255 or becca@athenscasa.org. |