CASA Recruiting Volunteers

The number of child abuse and neglect court cases in St. Landry Parish and Evangeline Parish are the highest that they’ve ever been in the past several years. The local CASA program needs more CASA volunteers to make sure the growing number of children entering into the foster care system have a voice to represent their best interest. “Become A CASA” and help meet this challenge by serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASA volunteers advocate for the safety and the needs of foster children in the child welfare system while also monitoring the progress of identifying safe, permanent homes for his/her CASA child.

The mission of CASA of St. Landry-Evangeline, Inc. is to be a voice for abused and neglected children. We are in search of 50 new volunteers to help advocate for the foster youths of St. Landry Parish and Evangeline Parish. There are three specific requirements to getting sworn in to become a CASA: you must be 21 years of age or older, obtain a clean criminal history, and complete a 32-hour Pre-Service training class. It is CASA’s goal to be able to serve 100% of the foster youths in both parishes.

CASA staff are available to discuss the immediate need for volunteers, what it means to be a CASA, and how community members can help make a difference for the best interest of our parishes’ foster children.

Any individual can begin the application and sign-up process if he/she may be interested. Training class space is limited.

Please contact Shelby Santiago, Recruitment and Training Coordinator, at 337-948-3550 or via email at Santiago@casastlandry.org.