CASA hosts Ray of Hope luncheon

SANDPOINT — In 2016, CASA served 400 North Idaho children removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.

This was a 19 percent increase from the year before. In Bonner and Boundary Counties, 88 children from 49 families entered the child protection system. Fifty percent of these are under the age of 5.

“In a small community, such as that of Sandpoint, chances are these families are neighbors, co-workers, or have children who are friends with yours,” said KJ Torgerson, CEO for CASA. “These families are not unknown. They are suffering, and the innocent child victims need a voice and support.”

CASA is holding its annual Sandpoint awareness event, the Ray of Hope lunch, from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Tango Cafe. The program will feature the live testimony of a former CASA child.

“While this brave young lady will forever maintain the imprint of her difficult past, her strength and resilience is already leading her towards a future of reducing the cycle of abuse,” said Cherie Peak, CASA Supervisor for Bonner and Boundary counties.

The event will also feature the many partners in our community working with children to prevent or recover from child abuse.

Each year in the United States, more than 800,000 children find themselves in court through no fault of their own. A majority of these children are removed from their homes and then placed with strangers in foster care. These children then become part of a legal system where a judge decides their future. 

In 1977, Judge David Soukup from Seattle realized he was only able to spend approximately 15 minutes on each child protection case before him. After deciding this was not an adequate time to investigate and decide the fate of a child, so he gathered a group of community volunteers to look into each case and give him a fact-based report. Thus, the National CASA Association was formed.

CASA provides court-appointed advocates for child victims removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. They investigate the circumstances of the child’s case, prepare reports to the courts, and make recommendations to the judge for needed services. They serve as the child’s voice in court and ultimately, help them find a safe and permanent homes.

CASA’s vision is to ensure that every child in the five northern counties of Idaho lives in a safe, healthy and nurturing family environment.

CASA relies on the contributions from the many generous individuals and corporations of Boundary and Bonner counties to support local children in need of an Advocate.

The Tango Cafe is located in the Columbia Bank Building, 414 Church Street, Sandpoint. The lunch is free. To RSVP for the breakfast, visit NorthIdahoCASA.com or call the office at 208-667-9165.