Terri Walker, volunteer coordinator for the Court Appointed Special Advocates, spoke to the Camden Lions Club on Wednesday about the work her organization does in Ouachita and Calhoun counties.
According to the group's website, CASA volunteers "speak up and advocate for abused and neglected children in the courtroom and other settings. Arkansas CASA is part of a a national network of 955 programs that recruit, train and support volunteers to represent the interests of these children. "
Walker said that volunteers are responsible for things like reviewing case files, submitting recommendations to judges and helping the child understand court proceedings.
CASA volunteer are required to have a background check through the Arkansas State Police as well as a child maltreatment background check, Walker said. They must also complete a 30 hour training before being assigned to a case. They are required to have up to 12 additional hours of training per year after the initial training, which are completed with monthly meetings.
Walker said, "Here in Ouachita County -- I counted this morning --, I think we have either 24 or 25 cases. Each case has one to seven kids, and we do have one that has seven children. We have approximately 12 to 13 volunteers."
"They've been physically or sexually abused, both through drugs in their system, or neglect. Most of our kids in Ouachita County are drug abuse children, they are Garrett's law babies. That means that they were born with drugs in their system," she said.
The term Garret's Law comes from legislation passed in 2005 that mandated reporting of children found with drugs in their system or health complication from drugs.
According to Walker, addiction can be a troublesome hurdle for parents who have had their custodial rights taken away.
"We had one mom that went to jail, her two kids got taken. She came out, she was clean. Within two weeks, she tested positive. She went in to rehab. She come out, and two weeks (later), she tested positive again for meth, and it's just -- it's sad that she says she wants her children back, but evidently she doesn't or she would have tested clean," she said.
Parties interested in volunteering can contact Walker at 870-574-4433.