.jpg)
Wlaf1450
By Charlotte Underwood
JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- CASA of Campbell County (Court Appointed Special Advocates) had its newest court advocate sworn in by General Sessions Judge Bill Jones.
On January 17, retired school teacher Tammy Baird signed papers and was sworn in, bringing the CASA advocate total to eight.
Baird said her “hope and prayer is to make a difference in a child’s life.”
“This is an exciting day for CASA. we are honored to have a new volunteer advocate sworn in by the Honorable Judge Bill Jones. This means more children that are going through the court system for abuse and neglect will have someone to be a voice for them in court,” said CASA Executive Director Jan Jones.
Newly appointed advocate Tammy Baird taught in the Campbell County School system for 30 years. She said during her time teaching, she saw “first-hand” how important CASA is for Campbell County children.
“I’ve always admired the work that CASA does in offering support to our most vulnerable children. I spent 30 years as an educator in the Campbell County School System and saw firsthand the perils that some of my students faced. Upon my retirement I have some extra time and felt led to volunteer as an advocate. My hope and prayer is that I make a difference in a child’s life,” Baird said.
CASA’s court appointed advocates will then be assigned to children who are going through the court system for various reasons such as child abuse and/or neglect cases. An advocate gets assigned to a child and follows the case from beginning till the case closes.
Jones said it’s “so very important for children to have an advocate as they go through court processes.”
“Court can be a scary place for adults, let alone kids. Every child deserves to have a voice in court. Baird’s experience teaching makes her a wonderful addition,” Jones said.
According to Jones, once advocates are trained and sworn in, they are “empowered to obtain detailed information related to a child’s case, trained to prepare a written report with recommendations for the judge and to speak for the child’s best interest.”
General Sessions Judge Bill Jones said CASA advocates were a necessity for children going through the court system, making sure the “child had representation.”
“I have to listen to all sides and CASA is invaluable; we use CASA a lot,” Judge Jones said.
CASA Director Jan Jones said more volunteers were always needed.
“We are just so grateful to have more people volunteer. CASA is a great organization and we’re thankful to have people volunteering their time and energy to be a voice for the children,” Jan Jones said.
CASA of Campbell County is a 501(c)(3) and was established in January of 2007. For the five years prior to that, it operated as part of a multi-county agency. The mission of CASA is “to advocate for abused and neglected children by providing them with a voice through trained volunteer advocates. These advocates ensure that each child receives the necessary services they need to be safe, cared for and protected.”
For more information about CASA of Campbell County, or to learn more on how you can become a volunteer advocate contact the office at 423-562-2700 or visit the CASA website. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-01/31/2025-6AM-PHOTOS SUBMITTED)