Volunteers Needed as Children’s Advocates

Interface Children Family Services, a nonprofit agency, is seeking volunteers to serve as advocates to children who are dependents of the court.

Through the agency’s Court Appointed Special Advocates Program, children removed from home because of abuse or neglect get assigned to stable and responsible adult volunteers. Those adults are given the task of seeing that the children’s interests are met in court.

Children assigned to CASA often don’t have relatives or adults in their lives who are responsible enough to make sure the children don’t fall through the cracks, said Pam Cady, director of the program.

More than the 42 current CASA volunteers are needed. As of December, Ventura County had 831 open cases of children in dependency courts, said Pam Cady, director of the program. After volunteers are interviewed and screened, they are trained and matched with a child.

“Volunteers become the children’s voice in court,” Cady said.

Interface Children Family Services was established in 1973. The agency provides counseling, education, shelter and treatment services to abused children. Services also are offered for battered women and their children, troubled individuals and families in crisis.

Ventura County has had the CASA program since 1989. It became part of Interface in 1997.

To volunteer, contact Cady at 485-6114, Ext. 654. The next 48-hour training session begins in April at the agency’s office, 1305 Del Norte Road, Suite 130, Camarillo.