Volunteers Needed: CASA Volunteer Shares How to Help Kids Navigate the Judicial System

BELLEVILLE - A local volunteer with CASA of Southwestern Illinois shared her experience to encourage others to join the CASA mission and help kids navigate the judicial system.

CASA, or Court-Appointed Special Advocates, work with kids who have experienced abuse or neglect, most of whom are in the foster care system. CASA volunteers spend time with the kids and speak on their behalf in court to help the judge make decisions in the best interest of the child.

Volunteer Stacy Sayuk explained that working with her “kiddo” has been “fulfilling.” She believes the entire point of CASA is to help others.

“CASA as an organization is about us helping each other in a time of need,” she said. “When you think about life in general, we all have issues, and so sometimes we get off track, and that can sometimes affect our children. I look at CASA as a way not only to help the children, but to give an opportunity for families to get back on the right track and give them that opportunity so that they can provide a space for their children to love them, learn and grow.”

Sayuk began volunteering last year after she felt “a pull to do something meaningful to support children in the foster care system.” She underwent a weeklong in-person training and was assigned her first case.

CASA volunteers are asked to commit to a child for the duration of their court case. For many of these children, the CASA volunteer is the one steady presence in their lives during a tumultuous time. Most volunteers commit to about five hours a month for several months in order to meet with the child, write reports, and be present in court.

Sayuk understands it can be intimidating for first-time volunteers who don’t know what to expect. But she emphasized that the CASA organization offers plenty of support, including additional training and opportunities to work with other volunteers.

“The whole CASA family will support you,” she said. “It has been very rewarding knowing that I can be there for someone who may not really have anybody else there in their lives.”

Sayuk explained that the goal is reunification. But, as an objective third-party in the child’s life, she can provide the necessary support and input to make sure the child’s best interest is carried out.

It’s important to her to make sure her child receives the best possible outcome. This is a lot of responsibility, which Sayuk does not take lightly.

“I feel incredibly honored to advocate for these children during such a difficult time in their lives. And at the same time, I stay very aware of the responsibility that CASA has,” she said. “I'm always asking myself, ‘How can I do more and be better for them?’”

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and these conversations are more important than ever for the CASA organization and volunteers like Sayuk. CASA will offer several training opportunities in May for interested volunteers, including in-person trainings from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on May 18–May 22, 2026, and online trainings during the weekends of May 16–17 and May 23–24.

For more information about how to get involved as a volunteer or how to attend these trainings, visit the official CASA of Southwestern Illinois website.

“I look at it, as an organization, as a way for us to all help each other,” Sayuk added. “Just do it. You won't regret it. It's a beautiful experience and very fulfilling.”

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