| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The volunteers, staff, and board members who make up |
|
|
the Texas Court Appointed Special Advocates organization are |
|
|
gathering in Austin on February 5, 2019, for CASA Day at the State |
|
|
Capitol; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Texas CASA is part of a national volunteer movement |
|
|
begun in the 1970s that enlists community volunteers to serve as |
|
|
court advocates for children who have been abused or neglected; |
|
|
these volunteers research the child's situation, provide critical |
|
|
information and recommendations to judges about what is best for |
|
|
the child, and help ensure that children in the foster care system |
|
|
find safe, permanent homes as soon as possible; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The first CASA program in Texas was established in |
|
|
Dallas almost four decades ago, and Texas CASA, which was formed in |
|
|
1989, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year; the |
|
|
organization provides funding, training, coordination, and |
|
|
assistance to 72 local CASA programs in 217 of the state's 254 |
|
|
counties; last year, the network engaged nearly 11,000 volunteers, |
|
|
who gave life-changing assistance and encouragement to more than |
|
|
30,000 children and young people in state care; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, CASA volunteers help to give children in the foster |
|
|
care system hope for a better future; these volunteers provide |
|
|
courts with the information they need to make well-informed |
|
|
decisions in child protective services cases, and their efforts are |
|
|
vital to ensuring that the system functions as intended; all those |
|
|
associated with CASA are truly deserving of recognition for their |
|
|
service to the State of Texas, its courts, and its children; now, |
|
|
therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby recognize February 5, 2019, as CASA Day at the |
|
|
State Capitol and commend the organization for its exemplary work; |
|
|
and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for CASA as an expression of high regard by the Texas House |
|
|
of Representatives. |