Court Appointed Special Advocates began taking cases in October 2008 after the first seven volunteers took oaths binding them to represent the best interests of victimized children with the goal of securing a safe, permanent home.

The oath also binds them to strict confidentiality.

The number of advocates has grown to 25 sworn volunteers in less than two years and CASA of Bradley County has grown beyond its umbrella organization to become a stand-alone nonprofit registered with the Internal Revenue Service. In addition to CASA’s role in the courtroom, executive director Suzanne Wisdom plans to revive the Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Program.

Wisdom said the Bradley County office has grown very quickly and is handling a large caseload from General Session Judge Daniel Swafford’s court.

“It is important for the community to become more engaged and supportive of CASA of Bradley County by donating time, funds and partnerships,” Wisdom said. “Although this is a new program in Bradley County, we have already surpassed the surrounding counties in the number of children served. There is definitely a great need for this program in our community. We have represented the best interest of nearly 150 children in the court system. These children were appointed a CASA in Bradley County because the judge felt they were possibly in danger and needed an investigation. This number is staggering when you think of the amount of unreported abuse that is happening in our communities, but it also shows the need for and the impact of the program.”

Wisdom said the community has stepped forward even with limited outreach.

“Our volunteer training classes have been full every session. Our current volunteers include working and retired teachers, counselors, students, firemen, businessmen and homemakers.”

One volunteer who stepped forward is Juliea Zello, a 21-year-old Lee University alumna from Ponchatoula, La. She graduated May 10 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Though she arrived in Cleveland as a student, she felt the need to contribute to this community.

“I took an oath to be an appointed advocate for children here in Bradley County — to be that third voice in court for that child — to provide that voice that maybe hasn’t been heard before,” she said. “It’s a great honor to be able to do that.”

She has been a CASA volunteer for about a year. Prior to being administered the oath of office, she completed 35 hours of training before she became the confidential voice of children caught up in divorce cases, parental violence, parental drug abuse, poverty or any number of difficult and tragic situations.

“A lot of times we are given situations where children’s lives are in chaos. They are moved around. They are in an unstable environment and as a CASA, we want to create as much stability for children as possible,” she said at a recent pancake breakfast fundraiser. “We actually do a lot of training which is good because a person who simply took an oath wouldn’t necessarily know how to react to all these situations.”

She was raised in a stable, loving and nurturing home but Zello developed an awareness of other family lifestyles through the children’s ministry program and midweek service at her home church in Ponchatoula

“I’ve seen a lot of different dynamics in families,” she said. “I guess I’m just seeing the same thing here in Bradley County.”

The boundaries of a child’s chaotic world can be unintentionally broadened beyond their more familiar but unstable environment when the family enters the court system.

“In many of the cases I’ve had, I’ve noticed there are a lot of younger parents that come with a lot of instability,” she said. “They rely on extended family and a lot of different people as a parent. Whenever you’re younger, you are trying to make ends meet. There seems to be a lot of dysfunction when you’re trying to make things work with different people.”

A particular case she has been working since September involves the mother’s absence from the family and the grandmother having to care for her grandson. Part of Zello’s assignment was to conduct a home study that revealed a strong familial bond between the child and grandmother.

“It’s really emotional because you think of all the complications he could face later in his life,” Zello said. “As a CASA, I was in the situation to see what was the safest environment for this child and to see how the grandmother treats him. She has been the stable force for most of the child’s life and she wants to be.”

Zello gathered background information on the child’s family life, wrote a report based on her investigation and submitted it to General Sessions Court Judge Daniel Swafford to help him make a more informed decision.

“He’s able to see more than what is on a court order because on a petition for custody, they have four lines where that person can write a little bit about the story,” she said. “We’re able to provide much more information on the case and much more information on what is going on in that family.”

Wisdom said, “Before our program came to Bradley County, Judge Swafford often had no choice but to make decisions regarding children’s lives based on limited information gathered from the parties in the courtroom.”

In many instances, Zello said children are too young to understand the full scope of events in their lives. To answer any question about stability, she asks younger children about school or when they last saw their mother.

“This is all they’ve known,” she said. “They haven’t known a mom who has been there regularly in their lives. This is what they know -- [for example] living with their grandmother. They really can’t tell you other than what is going on in their daily lives.”