COLORADO SPRINGS — 11 new Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers, were sworn in as officers of the court during a ceremony at the El Paso County Courthouse on Tuesday.

Fourth Judicial District Judge William Bain presided over the ceremony.

CASA volunteers advocate for the best interest of abused or neglected children in court and in the community. They act as a steady and trusted presence for kids who have to navigate the child welfare system.

In a twelve-month period, there are approximately 900 children just in the Pikes Peak Region who need a CASA volunteer. The advocacy program is asking for more volunteers with its upcoming sessions available on Jun 29 and July 20.

Prospective volunteers must complete 30 hours of training over a two-week period and finally be sworn in as an officer of the court.

The newest CASA Volunteers — Laura Boschert, Craig Cox, Julie Dismang, Jessica Evans, Melinda Breen-Nelson, Wesley Nelson, Jamie Rogers, Jessica Shepherd, Kyle Simmons, Kaiya Tang, and Sheila Thomas — will be appointed to open Dependency & Neglect cases by a judge this summer.