CASA volunteer training begins Tuesday

CASA St. Joseph County begins training volunteers Tuesday at the St. Joseph County Juvenile Center.

Volunteers must be 21, willing to make an 18 month commitment to the program, and complete 35 hours of initial training.

But their biggest requirement could be spreading the word to others to volunteer to keep up a growing number of kids in the program.

When ABC 57 spoke with CASA St. Joseph County in August, they were desperate to find volunteers to become Court Appointed Special Advocates.

According to their website, a CASA volunteer advocates for children involved in the juvenile court system as a result of abuse and/or neglect.

CASA Executive Director Brenda Matuszkiewicz says there has been a large increase in the number of kids in care in St Joseph County and now 500 children are on a wait list for a CASA volunteer.

And although training begins for aspiring CASA volunteers, CASA told ABC 57 News two weeks ago they are still looking to meet their goals.

To fill out a volunteer application, you can click here.