The Court Appointed Special Advocates Program under Iowa Health and Human Services is looking for volunteers in Jasper County. Kevin Schnoebelen oversees the program in Jasper, Polk, and Dallas counties. His job is to recruit and train local volunteers to work with children that have been abused or neglected, as their court case proceeds.

“The judge wants to know if the child is OK. So volunteers meet with their assigned child a minimum of every 30 days. They check in on how the child is doing in school and where they are living, whether it is at home or with aunt Susie or in foster care. If they are in therapy, how’s that going? We want general information to give the judge. Then with the parents, we want to know if they are doing what they need to do to get their kids back.”

Schboebelen says each volunteer is assigned one child, and is responsible for providing written reports on that child, which are admitted as evidence in the court case. The volunteers are also required to attend the court hearings that occur until the case is finished. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Kevin Schnoebelen via this email or phone 515-823-8258.