CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — CASA of the Coastal Bend is well known for serving scores of children in foster care throughout both Nueces and Aransas counties, but in order to continue their work with as many children as possible, they need help in finding volunteers.
So far this year, CASA has trained 12 new volunteers. By the end of the year, their goal is to train 60.
Communication Director Diana Booth said this will ensure that every foster child in our area that needs a court appointed special advocate has one.
"It's such a rewarding thing," Booth said. "We have many children that will come back, and they'll speak to our volunteers years later. What we're looking at from our volunteers is that they're making a generational change with these children."
Every year since 2020, CASA of the Coastal Bend saw an increase in the number of foster children they were able to serve, but right now, Booth says the organization needs help to serve over 700 kids in Nueces County and Aransas County.
"At this moment, we have a need for volunteers more than ever," she said. "We did see a drop from last year. In 2022, we did serve 580 children."
In 2023, CASA was only able to serve 451 foster kids due to the lack of volunteers. That's about 60% of the foster population.
"That's a significant drop in children in the foster care system who don't have a voice, who don't have a champion on their side," Booth said.
Tanshanita Erpelding grew up with an adoptive family and become a CASA volunteer back in August of 2023. Her personal experience is why she decided to help kids in the foster system.
"I can relate with the children, I can relate with the families as well because I know how it feels and what could be questions from everyone,” Erpelding said “It's one of those things where yeah, you can ask me because I already went through it, and I can help you with it."
Before joining CASA, she didn't understand the power her voice held.
Now as a court appointed advocate, Erpelding sees just how much having a child's best interest at heart can do for their future.
"Your opinion, you think that it doesn't necessarily matter because you're like 'Who am I?,' but in the eyes of the judge, your kind of person that is more than CPS, you're a little more than even the foster families in some of them because you get to see the kids outside of all the stress and the drama," she said.
If you're interested in becoming a CASA volunteer and would like to learn more, click here.
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