Harrisburg Kiwanis welcomes CASA's Mary Jo Agin

The Harrisburg Kiwanis Club welcomed Mary Jo Agin as guest speaker on Sept. 22 during their weekly meeting at Morello's.

Agin is the new executive director of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of Saline County. She began her presentation with some statistics regarding abuse and neglect of children. According to her data, one in 3 girls and one in 5 boys are sexually abused before the age of 19.

Additionally, more than five children die each day from abuse or neglect, with 2.9 million cases reported annually.

Not only does it affect children physically, but it affects them emotionally as well. Agin reported that most abuse/neglect is related to drug abuse. The majority of Saline County cases are a result of substance abuse, she said.

As children become involved with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and/or the court system, advocates may be appointed to act in the best interest of a child. The advocate is a volunteer who is trained by CASA and works for a judge, alongside attorneys and social workers, as appointed officers of the court.

The volunteer researches an assigned case, including spending time with the child, and then attends court with written reports to assist in ensuring a safe environment for the child to return to.

According to Agin, a child who enters the system and has a CASA advocate appointed, tends to be released from the system eight months quicker than a child who does not.

Currently in Saline County, there are 81 children in the system with 20 trained advocates. And as most volunteer organizations, CASA is always looking for special individuals to assist children in need. To volunteer or to get more information, email CASA at salinecocasa@yahoo.com, visit casaofsalinecounty.org or call (618) 253-3355.