Eight community Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteers from Atlantic Area CASA attended the Georgia CASA State Conference on April 16 in Atlanta to enhance their skills as they work with abused and neglected children involved in juvenile court proceedings.
With more than 40 children abused or neglected every day in Georgia, enhancing the skills of CASA volunteers and other workers in the child-welfare system is an important component in helping to end the cycle of child abuse and neglect.
The conference provided the participants with an opportunity to learn from experts in the child-welfare field and to meet other CASA volunteers from across the state.
Twenty-three workshops were offered on a variety of topics relevant to the work of CASA volunteers. Two affiliate CASA programs received awards of excellence at the conference’s opening session.
At the conference luncheon, the 2010 CASA volunteer of the year in Georgia was awarded, and all nominees were recognized.
The luncheon’s keynote speaker was Ashley Rhodes-Courter, a former foster youth and author of a published memoir, “Three Little Words.”
Atlantic Area CASA is an affiliate of Georgia CASA. Georgia CASA is a nonprofit organization with 47 community-based programs that train and supervise volunteers to advocate for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect and are involved in juvenile court proceedings.
Through individualized attention, CASA volunteers advocate for the best interests of Georgia’s abused, neglected and abandoned children. Bringing urgency to a child’s needs, both in and out of a courtroom, CASA volunteers promote safety, permanency and well-being through independent recommendations. 
Last year, more than 2,100 CASA volunteers in Georgia served more than 8,700 children. Locally, 53 CASA volunteers serve 166 children in Liberty, Long, Bryan, McIntosh, Tattnall and Evans counties.
For more information, go to www.atlanticcasa.org, call 876-3816 or email atlanticcasa@coastalnow.net.