Venango County CASA will continue to evaluate and be responsive as information from the CDC and our local court and Children and Youth agency is updated. We won’t stop our advocacy initiative to ensure children are safe. Here are the steps we are taking to keep our volunteers, staff, children, and their families as safe as possible while also fulfilling the CASA mission:
- We continue to monitor the health of staff and volunteers as well as the children and families we serve.
- Since most of our children have returned to in-person school, we have been able to check in with teachers and guidance counselors to gather information on how the child is doing academically, and how their attendance has been. We monitor this closely, as on any given day, the school can return to remote learning. Our volunteers continue to monitor the child’s education progress closely to ensure the child is receiving the necessary services so they can thrive academically.
- Before volunteers or a staff member visit a child’s placement whether that is their biological home, kinship or foster home, or a residential treatment facility, we check to see if everyone is healthy and comfortable with this type of visit. We also check the policy of the residential treatment facility to ensure visitors are permitted and any other procedural changes. We continue to bring masks based on the policy or preference of the environment we are visiting.
- We continue to write and submit court reports for every hearing so that judges or the judicial hearing officer have a clear picture of the child’s well-being, development and if there are any other services the child may need. All hearings and meetings have resumed to in-person, volunteers and staff will adhere to all guidelines.
- We are committed to remaining that constant person in a child’s life. The needs of children won’t go away, and a CASA volunteer is here to elevate their voices and make sure they are heard.