- Slug: Cronkite News 2 Go
- Run time: 1:49
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ANCHOR INTRO
“COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES” OR “CASAS” ARE VOLUNTEERS THAT WORK WITH THE COURT SYSTEM AND ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE.
THERE IS A HUGE SHORTAGE OF VOLUNTEERS. BUT AS CRONKITE NEWS’S SEDONA MEADOWS REPORTS SOME INNOVATIONS BROUGHT ON BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC MAY MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO BECOME A CASA VOLUNTEER.
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<sot – STEPHANIE WEBSTER/CASA VOLUNTEER/runs :07 hits 00-07 >
“Those of us who have been around a few years keep telling the new CASAs, It’s like establishing a friendship…”
STEPHANIE WEBSTER BECAME A COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE IN 20-15…SINCE THEN, SHE’S ADVOCATED FOR BOTH YOUNG CHILDREN AND TEENS…
<sot – STEPHANIE WEBSTER/CASA VOLUNTEER/runs :13 hits 16-29 >
“You don’t know the person that you first meet and you say, ‘I’d like to be your friend’ well in this case…You picked this case, so you want to be their friend but you need to know them, you need to learn about every part of their case.”
WEBSTER NOW HELPS TRAIN NEW CASAS…AND THE MAJORITY OF THAT TRAINING IS ONLINE.
CASA TRAINING SPECIALIST MARSHALLE MANRIQUEZ IS A PART OF THE ORGANIZATION’S NEW VIRTUAL TRAINING CREATED DURING THE PANDEMIC.
<sot – MARSHALLE MANRIQUEZ/CASA TRAINING SPECIALIST/runs :12 hits 39-51 >
“We are really pleased with the results that we’ve gotten from doing virtual and so we are gearing up to keeping that around and making sure we have that as an option for individuals to still be able to go to training if they can’t go in-person…”
MANRIQUEZ, LEADS SEVERAL OF THE VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSIONS THAT INCLUDE CLOSE TO 500 VOLUNTEERS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE.
IN THE PAST, THE 30 HOURS OF TRAINING CASAS NEED WAS ONLY AVAILABLE IN-PERSON WHICH, MANRIQUEZ SAYS, LIMITED WHO COULD BECOME A CASA.
<sot – MARSHALLE MANRIQUEZ/CASA TRAINING SPECIALIST/runs 1:06 hits 1:06-1:10 >
“We don’t want training to be the one thing that’s holding you back from being able to then help a child.”
12 HUNDRED CASAS ARE CURRENTLY SERVING OVER 14-HUNDRED CHILDREN. BUT THAT STILL LEAVES …OVER 12,000 CHILDREN IN THE CARE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SERVICES WHO DO NOT HAVE A CASA.
THE VIRTUAL TRAINING REQUIRES 15 HOURS OF IN CLASS WORK AND 15 HOURS WORKING ON YOUR OWN…
MANRIQUEZ SAYS THE VIRTUAL OPTION IS HERE TO STAY.
<sot – MARSHALLE MANRIQUEZ/CASA TRAINING SPECIALIST/runs :08 hits 1:32-1:40 >
“We will continue to keep the virtual option up and running so that we can hit some of those other individual situations that don’t allow them to come in person”
WEBSTER, LIKE MANY OTHER CASAS, STILL KEEPS IN TOUCH WITH FORMER CLIENTS WHO HAVE AGED OUT OF THE SYSTEM INCLUDING ONE WHO SHE CONSIDERS LIKE A GRANDCHILD…
<sot – STEPHANIE WEBSTER, CASA VOLUNTEER/runs :11 hits 1:49-2:01 >
“She keeps in touch with me all the time….And she comes to me with a lot of questions. But I see the growth and I think that she’s gonna have a great life.”
THANKS IN PART TO THE HELP OF CASAS LIKE STEPHANIE WEBSTER.
SEDONA MEADOWS, CRONKITE NEWS.
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ANOTHER CHANGE THAT CAME BECAUSE OF COVID IS THAT MANY COURT HEARINGS ARE HELD VIRTUALLY…THIS MAKES IT EASIER FOR EVERYONE INCLUDING CASAS TO ATTEND. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BECOMING A CASA VOLUNTEER YOU CAN GO TO “AZCASAVOLUNTEER.ORG”