The Marshall County Commissioners approved financial support for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in the amount of $25,317.70 from the unrestricted opioid settlement funds and $20,000 from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Fund.
Director of CASA Chastity Keller has repeatedly beseeched the County Council and the Commissioners since last budget season in public meetings and in work sessions to provide a funding solution for the depleted General Fund source that once supported the program. That fund used to have $100,000 in it and was relied upon to sustain the program. Over the years that fund has been depleted and the limited grant funding from the state is insufficient to carry the Marshall County program past October.
Changes in the State of Indiana with the Department of Child Services (DCS) has resulted in a decrease in the amount of funds that are allocated to CASA programs. The number of cases assigned to CASA have also dropped since the COVID Pandemic, but there is still a need for the organization that trains volunteers to advocate for children in need of services (CHINS). Currently CASA has been appointed 21 children and continues to increase.
Commission President Stan Klotz expressed a desire for a more permanent funding mechanism to be established once Circuit Court Judge Curtis Palmer retires and his replacement is established. “It is important to these children who are caught in these situations through no fault of their own.”
Commissioner Kevin Overmyer said that he would prefer for the funding to come from the General Fund because it provides a long term solution as opposed to a temporary “band aid”. “I don’t want to hold up the program.”
After some discussion and then some hesitation, Keller interjected the importance of making a timely decision. “We will be out of funds, the way it sits right now if nothing is done by September maybe October. So I will need to make decisions on how we move forward with the rest of our kids that we are appointed to at this time. I can’t give you any details of any cases but I can give you the details of myself as a kid. I would have been one of these kids, but there was no CASA 45 years ago when I watched my father abuse my mother, when I saw him doing cocaine – shooting heroin up in his arm. He spent time in prison and at seven, ten, eight years old – all those years I was visiting him in jail; or he would get released and I’d get returned. I never had that one person. So as a CASA we stay with the kids the whole time. DCS and Case Managers change, their therapists change, their skills coach changes – I have had CASAs who have been assigned to cases that have lasted for more than four years and they’ve kept that same CASA. That’s why I’m pushing for it. I want to make sure that it’s in the budget. I don’t care what happens next year we just need to make sure that these kids get what they need when September comes and I do not have to close the doors.”
Marshall County Attorney James Clevenger stated, “I have to echo her comments. I’ve had some cases and I’ll tell you the CASA representative is there from day one through the end. DCS has Case Worker change overs and lawyer change overs and if it weren’t for the CASA representative in some of these cases you know these kids would be just be lost. I get it that I don’t understand why it wasn’t in the budget but I would hate to see the program short funded.”
Overmyer agreed. “I do too. I just think that’s where it should come from but I’m not going to hold it up because of a decision that was made.” Overmyer made a motion to approve the ARP Committee’s recommendation to fund CASA with $25,317.70 from the unrestricted opioid settlement funds and $20,000 from the ARP Fund. His motion was approved.
Klotz reminded Keller that the amount will not get her through the end of the year but will give her enough to move forward until a permanent solution is found. Keller asked if she could be part of that permanent funding conversation.
