LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — There are thousands of neglected or abused children who need your help in changing the path of their future.
Non-profit organization Lucas County CASA is calling for volunteer guardian ad litems to help these children and their families.
A guardian ad litem is responsible for investigating a case and deciding what's best for the child, working in the child's best interests.
According to CASA, a recent report revealed that from 2018 to 2019 there has been a 34-percent increase in the number of abused or neglected children who need help.
That includes children affected by the drug crisis or who are going into foster care.
"I would hate to think of my kids in any kind of custody situation like what I know these kids encounter," said Allison Melching, a mother of two.
Melching was a attending an informational meeting on Tuesday because she is strongly considering becoming a volunteer guardian ad litem with Lucas County CASA.
"Lucas County CASA trains adult volunteers in the community to advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children," said Judy Leb, the director of Lucas County CASA.
The role of the guardian includes investigating, advocating and a monitoring cases of abuse and neglect to ensure children have a path to a safe and permanent home.
"I meet with the family and my primary responsibility is to be the voice of the child during this complicated process in this family's life. So I meet with the child every month, and I'll meet with all the parties involved. That could be the grandparents, the parents, the case worker," said Steve Piller, a current volunteer guardian ad litem with CASA.
Right now, there are 200 volunteers who can only manage about half the cases in Lucas County.
Which is why CASA is willing to invest in you becoming a guardian.
"To be sworn in as CASA volunteer, you first have to go CASA pre-service training class. It is about 35 hours of training," said Leb.
You don't have to have any experience, but you do have to pass a background check and go through an evaluation throughout the training.
"That the training is so extensive, I thought was great," said Melching.
And while it's all strictly volunteer work, guardians say it pays off when you change a child's life.
"The ability to change the trajectory of that family and that child is enormous. Many families have multiple generations of not knowing how to parent. So they come to the table without the resources to be a good parent," said Piller.
Anyone 21 years old or older can apply to become a volunteer.
CASA suggests you should fill out an application as soon as possible since the background check can take a while to come back.
You can start the process here.