CASSIE HUDSON, right, was sworn in as a child victim advocate by Grady County State Court Judge Josh Bell at his office in Whigham Thursday.
Whigham School teacher Mrs. Cassie Hudson took the oath Thursday to become a child victim advocate with CASA of Southwest Georgia.
Court Appointed Special Advocates, CASA, advocates for abused, neglected, and abandoned children who are in foster care and involved in Juvenile Court proceedings.
As a trained CASA volunteer, Hudson will advocate for what is in a child’s best interest and make recommendations to the juvenile court judge.
As part of her preparation to become an advocate, Hudson completed 30 hours of training, attended 10 hours of courtroom proceedings and underwent the necessary background checks.
“We look forward to having Cassie join our child victim advocacy efforts to serve all the children in foster care in our South Georgia region,” states Nan McIntosh, executive director of CASA of Southwest Georgia.
CASAs are appointed as “Officers of the Court” to an abused or neglected child. Their role is to make recommendations to the Court about what is in the child’s best interest. The volunteer will draw together this information by getting to know the child and gathering information from other persons who are involved in the child’s life. CASA volunteers are an active part of the child’s team that is working toward ensuring that the child has a safe, stable and permanent home.
CASA of Southwest Georgia serves the entire South Georgia Judicial Circuit which includes Grady, Baker, Calhoun, Decatur and Mitchell counties.
