U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) have announced the passage of their bipartisan resolution recognizing specially trained volunteers who advocate in courtrooms and other settings on behalf of child survivors of abuse, neglect, and abandonment, which passed the Senate at the end of May.
The CASA Volunteers’ Day Resolution honors Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) volunteers for their life-changing work with children experiencing abuse or neglect. This resolution recognizes June 6 as “CASA/GAL Volunteers” Day.
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“Indiana is lucky to have CASA/GAL volunteers serving 88 Hoosier counties to give every child the opportunity to thrive,” Sen. Young said. “It’s our job to make sure these volunteers are supported so they can continue to positively change the lives of our nation’s most vulnerable children.”
“We are grateful to Senators Sherrod Brown and Todd Young, as well as Representative Katie Porter, for their bipartisan support in recognizing today as the second annual CASA/GAL Volunteer’s Day through resolutions in the Senate and House,” said Tara Lisa Perry, CEO of the National CASA/GAL Association for Children. “Together with our valued collaborator, Unbelievably Resilient, we seek to amplify the voices of youth with lived experience in the foster care system and hope that today people nationwide will have the chance to better understand the critical role a CASA/GAL volunteer plays in the lives of young people. We are proud to serve over half of the children and youth in foster care but aspire to reach every child in need of a CASA/GAL volunteer’s services. As we celebrate 40 years of impact in 2022, we hope many more people will be inspired to join the ranks of almost one million volunteer advocates who have supported children and youth as they navigate dependency court and the child welfare system over the past four decades.”
Court Appointed Special Advocates and Guardians Ad Litem operate in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Their network includes 950 state and local programs that support more than 93,000 volunteers and 242,000 children.
In addition to Senators Young and Brown, the resolution was cosponsored by Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).