Sharolyn Dugger Explains CASA at Lunch & Learn
Sharolyn Dugger, the executive director of Shawnee County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), spoke to Washburn Law students and invited them to volunteer with CASA at the August 25, 2010 Lunch and Learn, which was sponsored by the Children and Family Law Center.
CASAs are community volunteers who are assigned to a child placed in state custody. CASAs are matched to a child or sibling group who have been severely abused, and they function as an independent third party who monitors the case and the "system" by talking with the social worker, parents, foster parents, therapists, teachers, and anyone else involved in the child's life. After gathering the information, the CASA then writes reports for the judge and advocates for the child's best interest. Being a CASA, while an additional time commitment, offers law students the opportunity to be involved with children in the Child In Need of Care (CINC) system from the non-legal perspective.
Laura Coughlin contributed to this article. Posted August 25, 2010.
