Court Appointed Special Advocates of Kosciusko County had its annual ceremony at the Kosciusko County Courthouse to mark National Child Abuse Prevention Month on Wednesday, April 12. After it was over, attendees posed for a group photo.

Text and Photos
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — People gathered in Warsaw Wednesday afternoon, April 12, to “bring some attention to child abuse prevention.”

That was in the words of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Kosciusko County Executive Director Erin Rowland Jones. As it does every year, CASA held the event at the Kosciusko County Courthouse to mark National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Attendees heard from several speakers before marching around the courthouse. People were given pinwheels, a symbol of national child abuse prevention, to plant on the courthouse lawn.

Once again joining the smaller pinwheels was a large pinwheel in honor of late Kosciusko County Judge David Cates. His court, Kosciusko Superior Court One, handles child in need of services cases in which CASA volunteers work with kids.

His successor, Judge Karin McGrath, was one of the speakers at Wednesday’s event.

“I feel a little bit like I’m preaching to the choir because you folks are here and you cared enough to be here,” she said.

McGrath referenced what Local Office Director for the Kosciusko County Department of Child Services Sara Cole had said earlier at the event about people saying Cole’s job was “too sad (or) difficult.”

“Well, guess what, the sadness and the difficulty does not go away if you bury your head in the sand and not get involved,” said McGrath. “It’s still there. You’re just not taking any action to make it better.”

“I think it’s part of the human condition that we feel sadness when we hear of things like the number of children who are abused and neglected in this country alone,” she continued. “We should feel sad; we do feel sad. That is human, but to really care about that information, is to take action and to do something in your little way with where you’re planted to make a change and to make that better, that is the most important thing we take away from events like this.”

“‘What can I do? What am I going to do?'” McGrath said of questions people should ask themselves. “You may not be in a place in your life where you can be a foster parent. You may not have time right now to be a CASA, but there are things you can do. If you’re not sure what those other little things are, talk to Erin, talk to Sara, talk to all the folks here who are involved now. They can point you in the right direction. There’s action every single one of us can take to watch out for these kids and to avoid seeing more of these children in my courtroom … and instead taking care of the issues on the front end and addressing the needs and doing everything we can to prevent further abuse and neglect.”

“So thank you for what you are doing now and I encourage you to do more and to continue doing what you have done,” she said.

During her time speaking, Cole shared what people can do to help children locally.

“Become a mentor to youth who are struggling. Become a CASA volunteer,” she said. “Become involved with your church and find ways to give back. But beyond any of that and most importantly, I will tell you that the department is in desperate need of foster parents.”

“Over the past year, there have been several situations where children have had to stay the night in local DCS offices due to (having nowhere to go),” said Cole.

She said people should also be ready to report child abuse or neglect if they see it by calling DCS’ hotline at 1 (800) 800-5556.

Also speaking was former Kosciusko County Jail Chemical Addiction Program Director Courtney Jenkins.

She shared her experience with a CASA volunteer due to a relative of hers having one assigned to him.

“She really came so that she could be a voice for (him),” said Jenkins. “She did it in the most highly compassionate way.”

“She was just this sweet, kind, compassionate woman who was not assuming. She just was there to speak for (my relative),” said Jenkins. “And she was able to do such a wonderful job because she had … great life experience, but also she had received great training through the CASA organization.”

“I will forever be grateful to CASA in all counties for their dedication, for the time that they volunteer to go to the trainings, to spend with the children, to do their research, to write the reports, to advocate for these children to the courts, to make sure that they’re protected and that the very best things happen to them,” she said.

Rowland Jones said after the event that “we really need people to step up and help in whatever way is comfortable for (them).”

That includes CASA volunteers, foster parents and Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteers.

“Any way you can help a family or a child is frankly child abuse prevention, so I just urge everyone to get involved in the capacity that feels right for them,” said Rowland Jones.

McGrath mentioned “little ways” can help.

“Get involved in the children’s lives that you come in contact with,” she said.

To learn more about CASA of Kosciusko County or how to be a volunteer, visit casachildren.com.

Attendees marched around the courthouse before planting pinwheels, a symbol of national child abuse prevention.

People place their pinwheels on the courthouse lawn.

David Dines sits with his pinwheel before the event started.

Kosciusko Superior Court One Judge Karin McGrath speaks.

Local Office Director for the Kosciusko County Department of Child Services Sara Cole talks.

Former Kosciusko County Jail Chemical Addiction Program Director Courtney Jenkins speaks.