| CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) DeKalb County is hosting a 30th Anniversary Open House on November 2, 2023, from 5-7 PM at the DeKalb County Community Foundation to commemorate 30 years of service to the community. CASA is the Guardian ad Litem (GAL) for 100% of children involved in the DeKalb County juvenile court system due to abuse or neglect by a parent or guardian.
The CASA program began in 1993 when a group of DeKalb County residents along with the NIU Women’s Law Caucus heard about the CASA program and recognized the need for the program in the DeKalb County community. Together, they worked with National CASA and Judge John Countryman to create CASA DeKalb County and establish the memorandum of understanding with the court assigning CASA the role of GAL. Joanne Dillman was the founding Executive Director, who passed the baton to current Executive Director, Jill Olson, in 2001. CASA trains community members as advocates for the children they serve. CASA Advocates visit the children regularly and speak with people involved in the child’s life, such as parents, foster parents, social workers, therapists and teachers, then share the gathered information with the court. In early 1994, CASA trained and assigned its first class of volunteers. Over the course of 30 years, CASA has sworn in over 250 volunteer advocates who have helped serve thousands of children in DeKalb County who have experienced abuse or neglect. CASA invites you to join them on November 2 to honor their advocacy for children over the past 30 years with hors d’oeuvres, sweet treats and a signature cocktail. Learn more about CASA at casadekalb.org or by calling 815-895-2052. |
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