April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and anyone looking for a way to help abused children in the community has the opportunity to volunteer with the Cullman County Court Appointed Special Advocates.

CASA is a volunteer program that works in the best interests of abused or neglected children who are in the juvenile dependency court system — who are primarily children in foster homes or previously in foster homes with their parents trying to regain custody, said CASA Case Manager Candace Lingo. 

When a judge appoints CASA to a case, a volunteer is assigned to conduct an investigation — which can include home visits, background checks and interviews with the child, their parents, foster parents, teachers and anyone else who is involved in their life or case. 

Advocates also make sure that the child is having their medical, dental and mental health needs met, as well as their school needs, Lingo said.

Using those findings, the advocates are able to make sure that the judge presiding over the case has the information they need to make a decision that leads to the best possible outcome for the child, she said. 

“We give a recommendation to the judge based on placement, family needs and child needs,” she said. 

Lingo said prospective volunteers do not have to come from a legal or social worker background, as they will receive a 30-hour training course from professionals in the legal and welfare fields, and the main requirements are that volunteers be 21 years old or older, have reliable transportation and be able to pass a criminal background check. 

CASA is an entirely volunteer program, which means new volunteers are always welcome to help take on cases that involve abused or neglected children, Lingo said. 

“With the exception of me, everyone who is involved in CASA is here purely on a volunteer basis,” she said. 

She said Cullman County CASA has around 22-24 volunteers right now, and just last year, CASA helped more than 100 children in Cullman County.

The COVID-19 pandemic did cause a slowdown in CASA’s work in 2020, with fewer opportunities for home visits and some volunteers opting out of the program until the situation was safer, but the need for volunteers has gone up in the first few months of 2021, Lingo said. 

“Now we’re seeing an increase in cases, so we need that volunteer pool to build back up again,” she said. 

Lingo said anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer for CASA can reach out to her at 256-739-1111 or at 256-590-9462.

As part of Child Abuse Awareness Month, Cullman Caring for Kids will be hosting community events throughout April to highlight different ways the community can help abused or neglected children. The month kicks off this week with blue bows and signs being put up around town, and blue ribbons will be handed out at Cullman’s H&R Block on Monday, April 6 from 12-3 p.m.