SANDERS COUNTY – The national program Court Appointed Special Advocates will soon have a branch in Sanders County. The plan is to join with the already established CASA in Lake County. The newest local CASA member, Marissa Ilac is passionate about the program and what they do.

“We help abused and neglected children that have been displaced,” Ilac said. “We advocate for them and look out for their best interests whether that be reuniting them with their families or finding a different living situation.”

The hope is to get the Sanders County CASA up and running as soon as possible so the specially trained volunteers, who have passed extensive background checks, can begin taking cases.

“We are joining with Lake County and this year will be the first as far as Sanders County,” Ilac said. “We should be starting within the next couple months. We are just getting funding and everything in line. It has probably been three or four years in the making.”

The original idea to get a CASA branch here came from Plains local and Respiratory Specialist Polly Cavill. She has been a long-time member of CASA and saw a need for their services in Sanders County.

For both Cavill and Ilac, the need to join CASA was overwhelming. They each got their drive to help children from witnessing sad stories.

“It just takes that one incident that changes things for us,” Ilac said.

In her case that one incident was a little boy, around the same age as her own son, who had been severely beaten by the mother’s boyfriend. The suffering of the little boy really struck a chord with Ilac. Ever since then she has devoted her time and effort to CASA.

As with many non-profit organizations, funding can be an issue for CASA. They depend heavily on fundraising and donations to keep going.

“The funding is not always there so we really rely on the local support and business support as well as fundraising and donations,” Ilac said.

According to Ilac, the coverage area is approximately 4,444 square miles and the local CASA branch strives to help any needy children in the area. This is quite a task and a third of the necessary operational budget is supported by local businesses and fundraisers. If more money is made than needed, the additional funds go towards the next year.

The ultimate goal of CASA is to help as many children as they can and in the best ways possible. This means working with other officials to ensure premium services and care.

“We work really closely with the department of Montana services, mental professionals and the legal community,” Ilac said. “We all work together and that is how we conduct investigations and interviews with the child so we can find out what is best for the child.”

The number one priority of CASA is and will always be the needs of the children. This one thing motivates the volunteers to do whatever it takes to reach those children who need help.

“Our work is so important simply because when children are placed in the court systems you don’t actually have someone standing up for the best interests of the child. [CASA volunteers] dedicate their time to help children have the best lives possible,” Ilac said. “It gives the child a voice.”