WHAT
Bill 347 - AN ACT ESTABLISHING A PROGRAM FOR COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES IN CERTAIN JUVENILE COURT MATTERS
Bill 347 provides statutory recognition of
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers to work with Connecticut's most vulnerable children in the child protection system. This will open the door for CASA volunteers to help more abused or neglected children in our state.
WHY
Bill 347 will vastly
expand the support Connecticut's abused or neglected children receive from court-appointed volunteer advocates. Last year, more than 8,000 Connecticut children were victims of maltreatment and 4,000+ were in foster care.
Today, only 5% of these children receive advocacy support from volunteers - versus the national average of 35%.
Bill 347 will
entail no additional cost for the state. It will be community supported and funded.
Bill 347 represents
the best of citizen activism. Connecticut has seen first-hand the impact that trained volunteers can have on the life of an abused/neglected child. Research shows children supported by CASA volunteers are less likely to re-enter the foster care system and more likely to succeed in school.
HOW
WHO
Child Advocates of SW Connecticut is a non-profit that recruits, trains and supervises court appointed volunteers who work to ensure that each abused or neglected child has a safe, loving and permanent home
Child Advocates of SW Connecticut is a proud member of the National CASA Organization
For further information about Bill 347, or to learn about becoming a volunteer advocate,
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