Across the country, community volunteers appointed by judges serve as advocates for abused and neglected children.
They are known as Court Appointed Special Advocates - or CASA - for Children, and they complete training by their state or local CASA office.
In Northwest Georgia, Chelsea DeWaters is program manager for the Murray / Whitfield CASA - based in Dalton, serving Murray and Whitfield Counties.
Here in the Chattanooga area, Catherine Grey is with the CASA program for Hamilton County Juvenile Court.