INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CASA/GAL SERVICES IN 2009

• Forty-eight Wood County Community members volunteered time to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL).
• CASA/GAL volunteers advocated for 126 children allegedly abused, neglected or dependent.
• CASA/GAL volunteers provided over 5,000 hours of service to abused, neglected and dependent children.
• CASA/GAL volunteers traveled over 48,700 miles to obtain information regarding their cases.
• CASA/GAL volunteers attended 296 court hearings.
• Seven individuals completed 40 hours of pre-service training and took their Oath of Office to serve as CASA/GAL volunteers.
• The average length of time that a volunteer stays with the program is 37 months.
• A local attorney donated over 79 hours of legal services to the program.
• CASA/GAL volunteers were able to serve 97 percent of the children needing advocate services in Wood County Juvenile Court. This is an increase from 87% served in 2008. (The remaining children in need were appointed an attorney guardian ad litem.) The CASA/GAL Program was unable to appoint a CASA/GAL volunteer to 8 families involving 10 children. 
• As of December 31, 2009, 39 CASA/GAL volunteers continued to advocate for 73 children.