SAN ANTONIO – A local non-profit, Child Advocates San Antonio, or CASA, has been a mainstay in San Antonio’s child welfare system. Their new CEO is looking to continue impacting the area and organization in her new role.
The organization, which serves more than 1,800 children throughout Bexar County, has seen an increase in child abuse cases during the coronavirus pandemic and says the trend will likely continue in the coming months.
It’s something Angela White, the organization’s new CEO, hopes to address as she takes the reins at CASA this month.
“These children need somebody to speak, not for them, but to amplify their voices,” White said. “To be there in a courtroom, and for them to know that they have somebody alongside them all the way. It’s a gift.”
According to a statement by CASA, White previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Chosen Care, a non-profit organization focused on helping children heal from trauma, and served as the Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Home, a non-profit substance addiction treatment center.
Additionally, White served as a CASA volunteer for over four years.
“This is full circle for me,” White said. “I’m humbled. It is a dream job for me to do remarkable work.”
CASA volunteers work as court-appointed advocates for children who have cases currently within the child welfare system. CASA currently has over 700 volunteers.
As of now, CASA can only serve about 70% of cases referred through the courts, but White aims to increase that amount and serve every child who needs an advocate.
“Get involved, help these children that are local to you,” White said.