In 2023, there were 69 children removed from their homes in Allen County due to abuse or neglect. “That’s the least I’ve ever seen,” said Aimee Daniels, CASA Director for the 31st Judicial District. She added that Neosho County saw 29 removals, Wilson County, 24, and Woodson County, 11. The decrease in cases could be attributed to the work CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and other organizations have done to bring awareness to child abuse.
In collaboration with four other organizations — Kansas Children’s Service League, AmeriCorps Seniors, Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), and Hope Unlimited — CASA recognizes April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Each year, the joint effort culminates in activities to shine a light on the issue, beginning with placing pinwheels throughout the county.
“The mission is to encourage people to have the conversation about abuse and notice the signs,” said Daniels.
Community members, along with representatives of the five organizations and commissioners, placed pinwheels in each of the gardens outside of the Allen County Courthouse Tuesday morning. Allen County Commissioners signed a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month just prior to venturing outside for the pinwheel installation.
“Hopefully, when people see those pinwheels, they are reminded of the great work your organizations do for the district,” said Commissioner Bruce Symes. “And surely, they’ll have a good thought for those who need your services.”
CASA has been providing services to victims of child abuse since its inception in mid-2003. Volunteers, or advocates, began being assigned to cases in the 31st Judicial District in 2004. The district covers a four-county area that includes Allen, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties.
According to Daniels, the organization works in the court system with children who have been removed from their biological homes because they’ve been abused or neglected to the extent that it’s not safe for them to remain in the home.
“This is strictly a volunteer program,” said Daniels. Administrative Assistant Marie Parker and Daniels are the only two employees.
“We recruit everyday people from the communities who are interested in helping children,” Daniels explained. “They go through some pretty intensive training.” To be a CASA volunteer, those interested must complete 30 hours of training that includes information regarding mental health, domestic violence, drugs and alcohol, child psychology, and how the foster care and court systems work.
The rigorous training is then followed by an extensive background check. “This includes fingerprinting with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), checks against the abuse and neglect list with DCF and national sexual predator website, and driver’s license, driver’s history, Social Security, and local criminal checks,” said Daniels.
CASA advocates’ primary focus is the child. A monthly one-hour meeting with the child is performed to ensure their ongoing safety and get an update on their current situation. “We see them wherever they are, whether it is at home, a foster home, or in a relative placement,” said Daniels. They also meet with the child’s parents and biological relatives, as well as teachers and counselors.
Volunteers follow-up on whether the child is getting regular medical care, immunizations, dental and vision checks. The volunteers also note if the child is exhibiting any unusual behaviors or showing signs of trauma or mental health problems. “Quite a few foster children get behind at school, so we check on their progress in school as well,” Daniels noted.
Another mission of CASA is to make sure the children aren’t in the system for longer than necessary. A child could be in the system for as little as three months, or it can be as long as several years. “It just depends on several different factors,” said Daniels. “It depends on what abuse happened, if multiple children were involved, or if criminal cases are included.”
Typically, the same volunteer will follow a child through the completion of their case. Since judges started appointing volunteers in the district, there have been only seven changes of advocates during a case. “That’s a pretty good track record,” Daniels said.
With April being recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month, CASA aims to bring attention to the issue throughout the month. Aside from the pinwheels in the various communities, CASA and their partners are holding pinwheel coloring contests for students kindergarten through third grade for all four counties in the 31st Judicial District. The judging will take place at noon on April 18.
