MONTGOMERY– Gov. Robert Bentley has awarded a $650,000 grant to help a nonprofit organization to enhance the quality of advocacy services for abused, abandoned and neglected children in Alabama.
The grant to Alabama Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, Network Inc. will provide trained, caring volunteers to advocate for a child’s best interests in court hearings. The advocates work with judges, attorneys and social workers to ensure the child receives appropriate care and support while in the foster care system.
“When a child is no longer safe at home and has to enter foster care, they need a caring person there to advocate for their best interests,” Bentley said. “I commend this organization and the services they provide for children in need.”
The advocates conduct independent, objective investigations into the life of the child and interview adults and those involved with the case. That information, along with legal, medical and psychological records, provides the means to make recommendations to the court until the child can be placed in a safe, permanent home.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Justice. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation.
“The real impact of ADECA’s grants and partnerships lies directly in how they help Alabamians – in this case children who have suffered from abuse,” ADECA Director Jim Byard Jr. said. “Through our partnership with the CASA Network, children across our state are able to receive advocacy and other important support services in the midst of very difficult circumstances. Children are the future of our state, and this partnership provides hope for a better future.”
Along with grants, many nonprofit agencies rely on private donations to ensure that their services remain readily available.
Bentley notified Bryan Olson, the organization’s board president, that the grant had been approved. Matching funds of $130,000 will supplement the award.
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Contact: Josh Carples; Mike Presley