Marion County CASA gives presentation to Fairmont Human Rights Commission

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Fairmont Human Rights Commission met Wednesday evening at the Fairmont Chamber of Commerce where it heard from representatives of the Marion County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

Much of the Human Rights Commission’s focus revolves around stewardship and service of the community, as well as the quality of life and how best to protect the community from unfair damage that would adversely affect the lives of individuals and families.

During the meeting, CASA Executive Director and Guardian ad Litem Katelyn Cox spoke and gave a presentation to the commission to inform it about how CASA works and how they work with children who are part of the child welfare system.

The Marion County CASA program’s mission is to advocate for children in Marion County who have experienced abuse or neglect and ensure that they can be placed in a safe environment, have a permanent home, and be given the opportunity to be successful.

“Our CASA program, we’re small but mighty like I said in my presentation and so we really want people to be aware of the services that we provide but also the needs that we have,” Cox said. “We need more people to be able to step up and be advocates for children in foster care. We serve about 30% of the cases that open in Marion County and of course, our goal would be to serve 100% of the cases.”

Marion County CASA currently has 29 volunteers who help serve around 200 children who are part of the child welfare system in Marion County.

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