EATON — The Preble County Court Appointed Special Advocate Program — court-appointed special advocates for abused and neglected children – is conducting a volunteer pre-service training on Tuesday evenings beginning Sept. 29 and ending Oct. 27. The training will be conducted through Google Classroom. Virtual meetings will occur on Tuesday evenings beginning at 5:30 p.m.

“If you have been considering volunteering as a CASA, but didn’t think you had the time, now may be your perfect opportunity,” says Mary Warrick, Director of Preble County CASA. “The completely virtual platform provides additional flexibility to complete the training.”

CASA volunteers are local, dedicated community members who advocate for children in the Preble County Juvenile Court, because the children have been removed from their parents due to abuse or neglect or otherwise necessitated Children Services’ involvement. As officers of the Court, the volunteers ensure that the children’s needs are recognized and their best interests are considered.

The only prerequisites for becoming a CASA volunteer are being at least 21 years of age, clearing an extensive background screening and successfully completing necessary hours of training. Anyone interested in learning more about becoming a CASA volunteer or completing the training, should contact Debbie Huff at [email protected] or Mary Warrick at [email protected]. More information may also be found by visiting www.prebcocasa.org or by calling (937) 456-2885.

The Preble County CASA Program is a member of the Ohio CASA Association, the only statewide organization supporting all local CASA programs in Ohio. The Preble County CASA Program is also a part of the National CASA Association, a network of more than 900 CASA programs serving children in 49 states and Washington D.C.