Page 12 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2026

COAST NOTE
Who Speaks for a Child in Foster Care?
CASA Volunteers Step In When Children Need a Voice Most
story and photo courtesy of the CASA of South Mississippi
April is nationally recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time when communities come together to raise awareness and support children and families. Blue ribbons displayed throughout the month serve as powerful reminders that every child deserves a safe, healthy, and hopeful future.
But awareness alone cannot protect a child.
Right here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, children enter foster care because their homes are no longer safe. In an instant, their world changes. They may leave behind their home, their school, and sometimes even their siblings. Suddenly they are navigating court hearings and life-changing decisions surrounded by unfamiliar adults.
In the middle of that uncertainty, one question often remains: Who is here just for me?
CASA of South Mississippi exists to answer that question.
CASA volunteers—Court Appointed Special Advocates—are trained community members appointed by judges to speak up for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. They are everyday people—teachers, retirees, parents, business professionals, and neighbors—who believe every child deserves someone in their corner.
For many children in foster care, their CASA volunteer becomes the one consistent adult who listens, cares, and refuses to let them be overlooked.
Many people assume becoming a CASA volunteer requires an overwhelming
time commitment. In reality, volunteers spend an average of just 8–10 hours
per month advocating for their assigned child. A small investment of time can make a life-changing difference.
Yet many children are still waiting.
Currently, 107 foster children in Harrison County do not have a CASA volunteer assigned to advocate for
them, simply because we do not have enough advocates.
That means more than one hundred children in our own community are facing one of the most difficult times of their lives without a dedicated voice speaking up just for them. For a child in foster care, one consistent adult can change everything.
This April, as blue ribbons appear across South Mississippi, consider how you can help ensure that no child has to face the system alone.
Learn how to become a CASA volunteer by visiting www.casasouthms.org or contacting our office at 228.344.0419.
This project was supported by MS State Victim Services Grant Funds awarded by the MS State Department of Health, Office Against Interpersonal Violence, state administering agency. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the state.
12 | April 2026 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living