Ruthanne Mefford, Kurt Kirchof and Vicki Spriggs.
Child Advocates of Fort Bend County Board Member Kurt Kirchof of Richmond was awarded the Excellence in Governance Board Member of the Year Award by Texas CASA, the statewide network of 71 local Court Appointed Special Advocate programs which recruit, train and support volunteers who speak up in court for children in the foster care system. This award was presented during Texas CASA’s annual conference in San Marcos on October 25th.
“A local CASA program’s board of directors plays a key role in the success of nonprofit organizations. A board member’s official role is to enable an organization to achieve its purpose and protect the public interest by making sure the organization’s resources are spent appropriately,” said Vicki Spriggs, chief executive officer of Texas CASA. “Good board members go beyond that definition, generously contributing their time, talents and resources to the CASA cause.”
Kirchof was nominated by Child Advocates of Fort Bend, where he has served for five years on the board of directors and the executive committee. He has overseen the agency’s launch of the Voices for Children sustainable fundraising initiative, which ensures that the services for abused children provided by Child Advocates of Fort Bend will continue uninterrupted so that no child will fall through the cracks. He is also a strong supporter of efforts to recruit more volunteers of color as well as men.
CASA volunteers are specifically trained to advocate for children in foster care. Volunteer advocates work to provide services and support to the children they serve by getting to know the child and the people involved in the child’s life, including family members, teachers, doctors, lawyers, social workers and others. Their recommendations, based on the information they gather, help the judges overseeing the cases make informed decisions. CASA volunteers commit to a child until the case is closed and the child is in a safe, permanent home.
Texas CASA is comprised of 71 local programs serving children in 207 Texas counties. More than 7,600 trained volunteers advocated for more than 23,600 children in foster care in Texas last year. Unfortunately, more than half the children in care do not have advocates to speak up for them in court.
For more information about becoming a CASA volunteer or your local program, please visit www.TexasCASA.org.