(Bay St. Louis, MS) – March 16, 2022 – CASA of Hancock County has been awarded a $44,200 Needs-Based Grant from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Association for Children. CASA of Hancock County recruits, trains and supports volunteers who advocate for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. The National CASA/GAL Needs-Based Grants are designed to help sustain the capacity of state organizations and local programs to recruit, screen, train, supervise and retain CASA/GAL volunteers while maintaining quality advocacy and supporting initiatives to increase the number of children served.

The National CASA GAL Needs-Based Grant will enable CASA of Hancock County to focus on sustaining service to qualifying children in Hancock County.

“This grant will allow services to be uninterrupted during a time of financial hardship for our local nonprofit. The pandemic unfortunately impacted funding for CASA and we are so grateful to National CASA/GAL recognizing our need and being able to assist during this interim period,” said Cynthia Chauvin, Executive Director of CASA of Hancock County.

There are 950 state CASA/GAL organizations and local CASA/GAL programs operating in 49 states (all but North Dakota) and the District of Columbia. The federal grant funds distributed through National CASA/GAL are provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, US Department of Justice, as authorized under the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990.

About CASA of Hancock County

We advocate for Hancock County’s abused and neglected children by supporting volunteers who support safety, permanency, and resilience. Our next training class begins in May, 2022. To learn more about volunteering or others ways to support our work, visit www.casahancockcounty.org.

About the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem Association for Children

The National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Association for Children, together with its 950 state and local member programs, supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so that every child who has experienced abuse or neglect in the United States can be safe, have a permanent home and have the opportunity to thrive. National CASA/GAL offers leadership and support to the network of programs and leads its continued growth. CASA/GAL volunteers and staff work every day to advocate for children, youth and families. To learn more, visit nationalcasagal.org.