Recent Press
Twin Cedars Youth Services Announces Addition of CASA Program
Columbus, GA -- In Muscogee County, there were over 1,300 reports of child abuse and neglect and an average of 240 children in the foster care system in 2007. Currently, are more than 500,000 children in foster care in the United States today and all of these children become part of the court system, with a judge deciding their best interests. With many workers in the child welfare system often too overburdened to give detailed attention to each child, a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is assigned. Chattahoochee CASA, located in Columbus and serving Muscogee County, recently moved under the umbrella organization of Twin Cedars Youth Services, Inc. TCYS is a multi-service non-profit agency specializing in residential services for adolescent boys and girls with a focus on serving teen mothers and their babies, sexually traumatized youth, sexually aggressive youth, and severely emotionally disturbed youth. Components of our wide continuum of care include: Community Mental Health Centers, Child Advocacy Centers, Youth Leadership Programs, Pregnancy and Child Abuse Prevention Programs, Parenting Programs, Summer Camps, Ropes and Teambuilding, Specialized Foster Care, and Education Services. Signature programs in Columbus include the Anne Elizabeth Shepherd Home and Children’s Tree House. Overall, Twin Cedars reaches 1,700 babies, children, teens and families through 26 programs in 6 cities in West Georgia each year.
CASA uses trained community volunteers to provide in-depth information to the judge so the best decisions for a child’s future are made. Executive Director Mike Angstadt has supported this effort, “The addition of CASA to our continuum of care reinforces our commitment to serving children in need.”
Chattahoochee CASA is one of over 900 programs nationwide. An affiliate of Georgia CASA and a member of the National CASA Association, headquartered in Seattle, WA, Chattahoochee CASA’s volunteers will join more than 8,700 CASA volunteers statewide and over 59,000 volunteers nationwide who are currently speaking up for abused and neglected children involved in juvenile court proceedings.
The Chattahoochee CASA Program needs your help as a CASA volunteer for a child in court, and also in the areas of volunteer recruitment, fundraising, and clerical assistance. You can make a difference in the life of a child. Become involved and be a powerful voice in a child’s life. To learn more contact Rosalind Alston at (706) 327-9612 or ralston@twincedars.org