Q&A with Suzanne Draper on Vanderburgh County CASA’s 40th anniversary
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Vanderburgh County CASA celebrated its 40th anniversary in October. The mission of the not-for-profit organization based in Evansville is to support and promote court-appointed special advocates serving as children’s voices in courtrooms.
Executive Director Suzanne Draper spoke with Inside INdiana Business about how the not-for-profit has changed since 1984 and the challenges the organization faces today.
What does Vanderburgh County CASA do?
We recruit and train volunteers to advocate for children who have been abused and neglected and involved in the juvenile court system.
How has Vanderburgh County CASA evolved since 1984?
Over the last 40 years, from records that we have found, we were assigned to 13 cases that first year. Last year, we served over 1,200 children in just one year.
Why is Vanderburgh County CASA important to the community?
Our advocates are the one consistent person in these children’s lives. They’re information gatherers. They talk to foster parents. They talk to biological parents. They talk to teachers, therapists, anyone who’s involved in the child’s case. They gather information, and then they make recommendations to the juvenile court judge.
There may be numerous family case managers. They may be moved from foster home to foster home or a relative’s home. Their CASA may be that one person that’s always walked with them through this crisis, this time of need of having someone be there for them.
What are the challenges facing Vanderburgh County CASA right now?
Not having enough volunteers. It’s difficult because we are dealing with children who have been abused and neglected. They’re the victims, and the system is complicated. You have the Department of Child Services, you have the court and you have CASA.
You have all these people that are talking about what is in the best interest of these children. But everyone has their own policies and procedures that they have to go by, whereas CASA is truly that one person in the courtroom that is looking after the best interest for the child.
Vanderburgh County CASA celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024. What does that milestone mean for the organization?
I wish that we wouldn’t have to be in business. I wish we wouldn’t have to be here for 40 years or 40 more years. But, unfortunately, child abuse and neglect continue to happen. What we do for the community, it’s a huge undertaking. Our volunteers don’t get paid. Our volunteers are there because they want to help kids. And that says a lot about our community, volunteers and staff.
Our staff is very seasoned. We have a wonderful staff. Many of us have been there 10+ years, which, in a nonprofit world, doesn’t always happen. But our staff does it because they believe in what we do, and they believe that kids deserve a choice, a chance and a voice.
What are Vanderburgh County CASA’s goals for 2025?
What I see for the organization is to continue to recruit and train additional volunteers and serve the needs of the children.
You are retiring as Vanderburgh County CASA’s executive director at the end of the year. How do you feel about that?
It’s going to be difficult. I’ve been there 23 years, and we have grown a lot in those 23 years. When I first started, there was an office of three, and we had less than 20 volunteers. Now, we’re an office of 14, and we have about 110 active volunteers because we’ve had to grow. We’ve all worked together for a very long time, and it’s bittersweet. But I also know that it’s time. The organization is in a good place, and it’s time.
What do you want people to know about Vanderburgh County CASA that they may not be aware of?
I want people to know that anyone can do this type of volunteering. Many people are reluctant to look into it because they think it’s too emotional. But shame on us if we don’t try. These children in our community deserve a voice for them.
As an organization, we walk through everything with our volunteers. The staff will be with the volunteers for their first visit. The staff will be with them to meet the family case manager. We don’t just do the 30-hour training and say, “See you next year.”
We are going to continue to work with you and guide you because this is something out of everyone’s comfort zone. But we’ve got the best of the best, and we know the importance of retaining volunteers as much as recruiting volunteers.
How does someone go about getting involved with Vanderburgh County CASA?
They just need to contact our office—if they’re interested in Vanderburg County CASA—at 812-424-5825, or through our website, which is vandcasa.com, or they can always contact the Indiana State GAL/CASA in Indianapolis if they’re not local. Eighty-seven out of 92 counties in Indiana have CASA programs.