For the first time in years, Monroe County Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, has enough volunteers to pair them up with just one child.
CASA volunteers serve as a child's voice as they go through the court system. In the past, the volunteer advocates had to take on multiple cases at a time.
Executive Director Kristin Bishay says they now have 167 volunteers.
"That means that the CASAs can give a lot more individual attention to the children and the cases and make sure that we have covered all bases in our advocacy," Bishay says.
She attributes the increase, in part, to funding for a Resource Development Coordinator.
Bishay says the number of children requiring representation jumped by about 300 children in two years.
"The increased need that was suddenly hoisted upon us was due to the opioid epidemic and the community recognized that and really stepped up to support our agency," Bishay says.