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Grant will expand CASA program Jackson County�s groundbreaking CASA program has received a two-year federal grant of $75,000 to expand its recruiting efforts. The program � CASA is short for Court Appointed Special Advocate � was one of 101 applicants nationwide that won grants from the U.S. Department of Justice. The grant will help CASA recruit volunteers, who assist the courts as advocates for abused and neglected children. Oregon law requires the appointment of a CASA volunteer in all cases involving abused and neglected children in juvenile court proceedings. CASA volunteers are not social workers or foster parents. Instead, they are ordinary citizens who assist the court � essentially acting as the eyes and ears of judges. The volunteers interview families, school staff and others. They attend court hearings, file reports and make recommendations about a child�s care. The goal is to place children in safe, permanent homes. The low caseload, compared to a state child-welfare caseworkers, is intended to ensure informed recommendations. Volunteers receive about 40 hours of training, learning about the court system, the dynamics of child abuse, the needs of children and the availability of community resources. The county has about 60 volunteers for about 210 children. A dozen new volunteers were sworn in last week. But the county needs more volunteers, with 160 kids on CASA�s waiting list. The two-year grant is designed to alleviate the shortage of volunteers. No experience is required. Retirees (particularly retired couples) are perfect for the job, officials say. Backup mentors are available to free up time for scheduling conflicts. Want to get involved? Call the CASA office at 734-2272. A new training class will begin in late August. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA