Source: United States Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that his bipartisan resolution he recently introduced with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) to recognize specially trained volunteers who advocate in courtrooms and other settings on behalf of child survivors of abuse, neglect, and abandonment, passed the Senate late last week. The CASA Volunteers’ Day Resolution would honor Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) volunteers for their life-changing work with children experiencing abuse or neglect. More than 2,400 volunteers serve children and young people across the state of Ohio, representing 56 counties.
“Every young person deserves a safe and stable place to call home— and so many more have that home now, thanks to the work of Ohio’s CASA/GAL volunteers. Even in the midst of a pandemic, volunteers in Ohio served almost 10,000 children last year and continue to play a vital role by helping protect and support foster youth every single day. We must honor them, and continue working to ensure they have the resources to uplift the voices and needs of children in their communities,” said Brown.
“Senator Brown’s efforts to ensure all CASA volunteers nationwide are recognized for their commitment and passion to serving these children was appreciated particularly in his home state by the 2,406 CASA volunteers serving 9,825 Ohio children last year in 55 of our 88 counties. It is only with the support of everyone, including our elected officials, that we will eventually reach our goal of serving all children in need in all counties,” said Doug Stephens, executive director of Ohio CASA.
“All of us at National CASA/GAL are grateful for the leadership of Senator Brown in the official recognition of CASA/GAL Volunteer’s Day. I hope through the celebration of this day and related recognition, people nationwide will have the chance to better understand the critical role a CASA/GAL volunteer plays in the lives of young people,” said National CASA/GAL CEO Tara Lisa Perry. “Hopefully many will be inspired to join our movement by volunteering their time to support children and youth in foster care.”
“FosterStrong’s team knows firsthand the lifelong impact a caring, supportive, and consistent adult can have on a child or young person who has experienced foster care. We are grateful for Senator Brown’s leadership to provide us with the opportunity to pause and recognize the significant commitment and contributions of CASA/GAL volunteers, and we applaud Senator Brown’s continued leadership to ensure all children, youth, and families are well-supported. The first-ever National CASA/GAL Volunteer’s Day is a reminder to us all that we can each play a role in supporting families,” said Keri Hope Richmond, executive director of FosterStrong.
Court Appointed Special Advocates and Guardians Ad Litem operate in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Their network includes 948 state and local programs—including 45 local programs and the Ohio CASA Association in Ohio—that support more than 96,000 volunteers and 277,000 families.
This legislation was cosponsored by Sens. Todd Young (R-IN), Michael Braun (R-IN), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Jackie Rosen (D-NV), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and James Lankford R-OK). Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) led companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
A link to the resolution text can be found here.
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