Letter To The Editor: Help Make 2020 A Milestone Year For Child Advocacy

It is a new year, a new decade and another special milestone for us at CASA of Central Texas, our 35th Anniversary!

We have big goals to serve more abused and neglected children in 2020 with more volunteers! But, we need the community, we need you, to help us reach those goals.

In 1984, in New Braunfels, Texas, a grassroots effort sprang to life with a group of individuals whose professions allowed them to see up close how children who were victims of abuse were being victimized again by adult rules, guidelines, red tape, and lack of understanding, time and funds.

These doctors, lawyers, law enforcement officials and social workers met to discuss a solution to the growing number of child abuse cases and the number of children who kept falling through the cracks of the system that was supposed to protect them.

The formation of a child advocacy program was proposed and Comal County Child Advocacy was incorporated on March 13, 1985.

After becoming affiliated with the National CASA program, we acquired a non-profit 501(c)(3) status. The mission was to recruit and train volunteers who would provide an objective viewpoint in civil child protection court cases.

There were 18 advocates who completed the first training class. By 1994 the program expanded into Hays and Caldwell counties and the program name was changed to CASA of Central Texas.

The program expanded into its fourth county, Guadalupe, in 1996.

And now we enter our 35th year with 267 volunteers currently appointed to 335 children. Throughout all of 2019, we served a total of 577 children.

We have one facility in New Braunfels and our new Training and Support Center in San Marcos will be complete this year. We are aiming to serve 650 children in 2020 and swear in 100 new volunteers.

How can you make this milestone year special for CASA? Become a volunteer, attend an information session, join our board, donate, invite us to give a presentation. Nothing is too small!

To learn how you can get involved in this milestone year, follow us on social media or visit www.casacentex.org.

~ Norma Blackwell
Executive Director
CASA of Central Texas