CASA shines a light on Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and one organization is reminding people about the importance of this awareness.

CASA is an organization which helps children who are abused or neglected. It stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate.

“We have volunteers who are appointed by a judge to advocate for a child’s best interests when they enter the child welfare system due to abuse or neglect,” CASA Community Engagement Specialist Stephanie Bassham said. “We’re not a part of Child Protective Services, we don’t have anything to do with removal of children; but, once children are placed into the child welfare system, the Court will appoint a CASA volunteer, one of our advocates, to that child. The CASA volunteer becomes that child’s voice in Court for what’s in that child’s best interest.”

For both DeWitt and Lavaca County, CASA served 60 children from 33 families across Lavaca and DeWitt County. CASA has 19 volunteers who work directly with those children standing up and being their voice in Court. CASA serves eight counties around DeWitt and Lavaca County.  Solely for Lavaca County, there were 27 children who faced neglect while there were 33 in DeWitt County.

Kids come into care with CASA because of abuse and neglect. Bassham said Child Abuse Prevention Month is crucial to awareness on this issue. 

“The idea behind Child Abuse Prevention Month is getting in front of it and making sure everyone is aware of what resources are available to families who might be struggling,” Bassham said. “It’s about trying to intervene before a child is removed from a home. That’s the whole concept behind child abuse prevention; making sure that communities are educated, that parents are educated and knowing what to look for when we’re looking at situations of abuse or neglect. You should report a suspected abuse case. If there’s nothing going on, then there’s nothing going on; but if there is abuse going on, we want to make sure that these children are safe.”

Child abuse and neglect is an ongoing issue in both Lavaca and DeWitt County. “The idea behind those children is that these are actual children abused or neglected,” Bassham said. “Some of those numbers of those cases are still open and some of them have been resolved. It’s very fluid and every time a case closes, and you take a breath, there’s another case that comes rolling in. It’s constantly in flux.”

“That abuse can range from sexual abuse to physical abuse. We like to think that because we’re a rural area that we don’t experience the same thing that urban areas experience, but it does happen here.”

Bassham said if you suspect abuse for any reason at all, to contact the child abuse hotline straightaway and make a report. “There will be an investigation and, if there is abuse going on, you’ve done a great thing,” Bassham said. “If there isn’t abuse going on, you’ve still done the right thing because you have tried to make sure that someone is safe. Signs of child abuse can range from any change in behavior from a child. If you see physical marks on a child, that is another sign. Abuse can present itself very differently from child to child as well. If you have a suspicion, you should make the call.”

Having a consistent adult advocate can improve outcomes for these children. “Without that CASA volunteer, the child’s voice doesn’t have a place,” Bassham said. “CASA volunteers can be able to go in and spend that one-on-one time with the children and their families. By being able to speak to the needs of the entire family, we’re better able to make recommendations for the child. Without that CASA volunteer, you’re missing the voice of the most important person in the whole situation and that’s the child.”

A CASA volunteer is the only unpaid advocate in the Child Welfare System. “To be a volunteer, you have to have the desire and the patience and the heart to work with children and families,” Bassham said. “We’re working with children and families who are under very stressful situations. Our volunteers commit to about ten to 15 hours a month for the duration of each case, which typically is about 12 to 18 months. They do have to participate in 34 hours of training, and you have to be able to pass a criminal and background check and be 21 years of age.”

People can apply to be a volunteer at https://goldrencrescentcasa.org. “We need CASA volunteers,” Bassham said. “Right now, we currently have about 41 volunteers; but in 2025, we had 276 children that we advocated for. We do have volunteers who serve multiple cases. After COVID, volunteerism changed a lot and we always have a need for new volunteers.”

There are other partner agencies that CASA works with including Norma’s House and Friends of DeWitt and Lavaca County. Bassham said it takes a village of people to come together and support children and families.

“Child abuse can happen here, this isn’t Houston, Austin or San Antonio; this is abuse that is happening in our county,” Bassham said. “These are children that are going to school or children we see at church. It’s not an ‘other’ problem, it’s an ‘our’ problem and it takes all of us to step forward.”