Marshall County Circuit Court Judge Curtis Palmer and Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Director Chastity Keller spoke to the Marshall County Council members this month about CASA funding.
Judge Palmer gave the council members the overall work of the CASA program.
“We have a group of volunteers here in the community who have been trained to assist kids who I have removed from their parents due to neglect and placed in foster homes,” said Judge Palmer. “So, each of those kids is entitled, or capable, of having a CASA appointed to help them in their transition into and out of, hopefully, foster home back to their parents.”
There is only one paid employee in the CASA program and that is the director and she is not even a county employee. In fact, as explained by Judge Palmer, the CASA program is its own non-profit. Their funding comes through a grant through the State of Indiana with matching funds from Marshall County government.
The problem, according to Judge Palmer, is the grant funds vary every year.
“The legislature picks a number, whatever it’s going to be, in their biannual budget and then that money goes to an agency in Indianapolis who then divvies up all of that CASA money amongst all of the counties that have a CASA program based on the number of children who have been removed from their parents.”
The funding received depends on the number of children in the program. Last year there were 17 in the program as there haven’t been many arrests as of late that result in placing children into foster care, according to Judge Palmer.
The program received about $32,000 in 2020, $23,000 in 2021, $16,000 in 2022 and $14,000 in 2023 from the state. However, the program in 2024 will only get $4,327 in state funding. The county matches 85 percent of the grant. The total income in 2024, including the county’s match of $3,678 will leave budget at $8,005 for 2024 with projected expenses at approximately $55,000.
Over the last six years, the expenses have exceeded income. The program has a Non-Reverting CASA Fund that has whatever money is not used from the previous year, but that funding is about depleted.
Judge Palmer said at budget time he is going to ask to help make up the $44,000 shortfall to help keep the CASA program in business in Marshall County. He said he would provide an increase of about 15 percent in the Circuit Court budget and would appreciate the council’s support.
No decisions were made, but the council will consider that request during budget discussions.
Additionally, the council approved a motion to approve a request made by Judge Palmer to submit the grant application for the state funding for the CASA program. That request was approved with a unanimous vote.
