As  of November 2022,  there are 36 Bourbon County children who have been abused or neglected and need a volunteer to advocate for them in the court system.

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate.

” Bourbon County CASA has been providing CASA volunteers to the children of Bourbon County for over 32 years,” said Christa Horn, director.  “CASA Volunteers undergo extensive background checks and over 30 hours of training to become certified.  CASA’s are assigned by the court to advocate for and be the voice of children who are involved in the court system due to abuse and neglect, through no fault of their own.”

“Currently 36 children who have been victims of abuse or neglect are assigned CASA Volunteers,” Horn said.  “Over 980 children here in Bourbon County have benefited from having a CASA volunteer by their side, fearlessly advocating for their needs.  Sadly there are at least 36 more children who need a CASA volunteer.”

“Children can be referred by  interested parties, attorneys and DCF/or it’s private contractor and then are assigned by the Court,” she said.

“CASA volunteers meet with their assigned child(ren) on a consistent basis getting to know the child and their circumstances perhaps better than any other professionals involved in the case,” Horn said. “They gather information from all individuals involved in a child’s life, from parents, foster parents, teachers, therapists, doctors, family members, case worker.  CASA then submits written reports to the court at each court hearing detailing events and facts in a child’s life and case and makes recommendations on what is believed to be in the child’s best interest.  CASA volunteers remain assigned to their child until the child is reintegrated back home or reaches permanency through adoption, permanent custodianship.”

The amount of time spent as a CASA volunteer varies.

“Hours vary case by case, but on average a volunteer will spend 6 to 8 hours a month devoted to their assigned case,” she said.

“Currently Bourbon County CASA has 23 certified volunteers,” she said. ” Volunteers are assigned only one child or sibling group at a time, allowing them the time to focus on only one case at a time.”

Contact Bourbon County CASA, PO Box 146, Fort Scott.   Phone:  620-223-2407 or 620-215-2769;  Email:  [email protected];  Program Director Christa Horn

Tomorrow is the deadline for an annual fundraiser for CASA.

MASSIVE REGIONAL FUNDRAISER SPONSORED BY PUMP’N PETE’S CORPORATION

TO BENEFIT CASA PROGRAMS IN 3 STATES DURING OCTOBER
Pump N Pete’s Corp of Erie is hosting a pledge card fundraiser and other activities on behalf of Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) during the month of October. Pete’s operates 54
convenience stores and fuel stations in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and this special effort targeting the increase of services by CASA to abused and neglected children in the court system will benefit 6 individual CASA Programs in those areas; CASA of the 31st Judicial District, CASA of the 4th, Bourbon County CASA
and Tri–County CASA in Southeast Kansas; Child Advocates of Northeast Oklahoma and CASA of Jasper County in Missouri.

“Pinwheels for Prevention – Partners for Children” is an easy, stress free and fun way to help children in state custody. Pete’s cashiers will ask you to donate and all you do is say YES! You get to sign a Pinwheel Pledge Card and hang it in the store to commemorate your donation. It you donate $5 or more at one time you
get a raffle ticket good for a chance at winning a $25 prize in each store and the winners from each store will go on to a GRAND PRIZE DRAWING at the end of October for $250 at the Pete’s Corporate Office in Parsons.

The funds raised are used to recruit, train, prepare and support Volunteer Advocates who are specially trained by CASA and appointed by County Judges to help children who have been abused or neglected and found to be in need of care by the court. The Advocates partner with the children, speak up for their best
interest in court and guide them successfully through their time in foster care. Once appointed, the CASA is always there for the child until he or she is released from custody. CASAs focus on the needs of the children and them spending less time in foster care, also getting services that benefit them.

Fundraising proceeds have also been used in emergencies and to pay for athletics, music lessons, summer camp, winter coats, Christmas gifts, adoption gifts, life books, special equipment and special clothing for children in the CASA programs.

CASA programs are non–profit and must raise their own funds to operate The Pinwheel Fundraiser is in its 10th year and Pete’s Corporation has made it a competition between
stores, area managers and district managers, even offering corporate incentives to all employees to do their best
for CASA. From there the managers and employees have gotten very creative and have taken the competition to heart! All stores do something special or host an event to supplement the fundraiser and many do some truly zany things. Several managers have taken cream pies to the face if the store reaches a set goal or offered to get
dunked in a water tank for extra money; others have thrown a BBQ or pizza party when employees post so many pledge cards. There were dueling bake sales between stores in the same town; car washes that got drowned by rain but continued anyway; body painting; dance–a–thons; characters greeting customers; lotto
winnings donated by employees and customers and public competition to have the most pinwheels on the wall!

At the end CASA awards trophies and publicly recognizes the top 6 Pump’n Pete’s Stores in several categories and representatives from each CASA program are on hand to congratulate them. A media event is planned for December 14th in Parsons, KS.

CASA and Pump’n Pete’s invite everyone to join the fun and help unfortunate children at the same time.

Children who did nothing wrong but wound up in foster care anyway. Donations to CASA are fully tax deductable and CASA is recognized as a 502(c)(3) charity by the IRS.