About Us
CASA of Dunklin County is a non-profit victim's advocacy organization that provides screened, trained and supervised volunteers to speak on behalf of abused or neglected children in juvenile court proceedings. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates.
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Volunteers stay involved with children until they are placed in loving, permanent homes. A CASA volunteer is many times the only constant adult in the life of an abused or neglected child.
The mission of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Dunklin County is to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy so that every abused or neglected child can be safe, establish permanence, and have the opportunity to thrive.
CASA of Dunklin County is committed to making a difference in the life of abused and neglected children. With a CASA volunteer, a child is half as likely to languish in the foster care and child welfare system, and that much more likely to find a safe, permanent home.
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One of the main objectives of the CASA program is to assign a volunteer advocate to a case at the first hearing held after a child comes into the state's custody. This enables an advocate to meet a child immediately and start an independent investigation that helps move the case through the court system as quickly as possible. As any one time, each volunteer advocate works with one case, or two at the most. Our goal is to provide a CASA volunteer for every child in alternative care in Dunklin County.
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CASA of Dunklin County has a strong history of highly committed board members, staff, community partners, and volunteers. Our Board's primary function is to determine policies, procedures, and regulations for the conduct of CASA of Dunklin County, to cultivate sources of financial support for the organization and its programs, and to monitor organization performance.
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The program is administered by a Program Director, who oversees trained volunteers working with abused and neglected children. The staff of CASA of Dunklin County works closely with volunteer advocates to provide the support needed to effectively advocate for children in juvenile court. Advocates work alongside a team usually made up of children's service workers, placement providers, attorneys, juvenile officers, service providers such as therapists and parent aides, family members, and the juvenile judge.
Board & Staff Members
Dorothy Adams
Board President
Sarah Jo Morgan
Board Treasurer
Nick Weatherwax
Secretary
Val Adams
Board Member
Laura McClendon
Board Member
Susan Hamrick
Board Member
Carla Smith
Program Director
Stan Morris
Board Member
Amber Cuff
Volunteer Coordinator
Our Program
Mission Statement
How Do I Become An Advocate?
How is CASA of Dunklin County funded?
Our Leadership
How can I learn more?
