Be the Reason a Child Has Someone in Their Corner

Why Butler County Needs More CASA Volunteers

---

In Ohio, a child is abused or neglected every 17 minutes.

Last year alone, nearly 3,000 Butler County children were investigated as victims of abuse and neglect. Behind each of those cases is a child sitting in a courtroom, often confused, often scared, and often without a single adult whose only job is to look out for them. That is where PARACHUTE: Butler County CASA comes in.

What CASA Actually Means CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate.

It is the only organization in Butler County that recruits, trains, and supports volunteers who are appointed by Juvenile Court to represent the best interest of a child caught up in an abuse or neglect case. A CASA volunteer is not a lawyer and does not need to be one. Caseworkers investigate the allegations. Attorneys handle the legal proceedings. Parents have their own legal counsel. The CASA volunteer is the one person in the entire process whose sole job is to focus on what is best for the child, nothing else. That work looks like getting to know the child. Talking with foster parents, teachers, and caseworkers. Reviewing school and medical records. Then bringing all of it together into a clear, honest picture for the judge of what that child actually needs to be safe and to thrive.

The Difference One Person Makes

PARACHUTE CASA volunteers have advocated for more than 2,800 Butler County children, attended nearly 8,000 court hearings, and donated over 177,000 hours of service. In just the last ten years, that has translated into more than 4,500 hearings attended, over 7,300 children served, and a 94 percent rate of court recommendations accepted. Numbers like that matter, but they only tell part of the story. For a child moving through the system, a CASA volunteer is often the one constant adult who does not disappear. Caseworkers change. Placements change. A CASA volunteer stays on the case from beginning to end, which for a child who has already lost so much stability, is enormous.

Who Can Become a CASA Volunteer

You do not need a background in law, social work, or child welfare. CASA volunteers come from every walk of life: teachers, retirees, business owners, stay at home parents, college students. What they all share is a genuine concern for kids and a willingness to show up consistently. The commitment is real but manageable. Most volunteers give around 8 to 10 hours a month and stay with a case for approximately one year, sometimes longer if the case continues. Every applicant goes through a full background screening and completes a thorough training program covering courtroom procedure, child abuse dynamics, family systems, and advocacy skills. PARACHUTE staff walk with you through every step, so you are never figuring it out alone.

How to Get Started

The easiest first step is a virtual CASA Discovery Session. There is no obligation and no pressure, just a chance to learn more about the role, hear what a typical case looks like, and ask questions before you decide anything. Every child deserves a safe, permanent home as soon as possible, and every child deserves someone whose only agenda is their well being. If you have ever wondered how one person could make a real difference in a child's life, this is it. Become a child's advocate. Become their someone.

Learn more and sign up for a Discovery Session at www.parachutecasa.org/take-action

(513) 867-5010 | casa@parachutecasa.org