On the morning of Tuesday, April 4, a wooden caricature of a child will be placed on the front lawn of the Kingfisher County Courthouse.

Then another. Then another. And another. In fact, the process will be repeated 56 times.

The wooden displays will be on the courthouse lawn throughout April as part of Child Abuse Prevention Month, each child representing a victim of abuse or neglect in Kingfisher County within the past year.

It’s a project of the Fourth Judicial District CASA Program, which covers Kingfisher, Woodward, Major, Blaine, Grant and Garfield counties.

In those counties alone, more than 200 wooden children will adorn the courthouse lawns.

The CASA Program not only desires to aid in the prevention of abuse and neglect, but works tirelessly with children who fall into the category.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers are court-appointed advocates for abused and neglected children in juvenile court.

And more - many more - are needed, desperately.

“We are in dire straits,” said Alyson Burrow, the volunteer coordinator for the fourth district.

Burrow was the guest speaker at the March 16 Kingfisher Lions Club meeting.

After previously serving as a CASA volunteer, she took on her current role right at a year ago.

“They created the position to try to regrow the volunteer program,” Burrow said.

There are currently four CASA volunteers in Kingfisher County.

Burrow said 12 to 15 is an ideal number.

“Fifty-seven is a big number,” she said, referring to the local cases of abuse and neglect.

A CASA volunteer works with a variety of people from the child to the family to possibly a foster family and all involved professionals.

The end goal is to find a safe permanent home for the child or children.

“CASA is looking out for the best needs of each child,” Burrow said.

Volunteers must be 21 years old and will go through a background check and screening interview.

Among the other requirements is successfully completing 30 hours of training.

“That’s the hardest part,” Burrow said. “It’s 30 hours of training in five weeks.”

Once approved, volunteers will spend an average of eight to 15 hours per month on their case.

“They spend time getting to know the assigned child or children and gathering facts to make a sound recommendation to the court,” Burrow said.

She said volunteers will see their appointed child at least once every 30 days.

The average length of a case, she said, is 18 months.

The successful completion of a case, she said, is the reward.

“Seeing the happiness of the child is why you keep doing it,” Burrow said.

Seeing the wooden figures on the courthouse lawn, Burrow said, is hoped to have another effect.

Though wooden children have been used before, last year pinwheels were used during Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Burrow wanted to bring back the figures.

“Seeing those children stare at you tugs at your heartstrings,” Burrow said.

It also serves another purpose.

The CASA Program is a non-profit and works solely off of grants and fundraisers. This is the program’s second-largest annual fundraiser.

As with a lot of non-profits, fundraising has dipped considerably since the onset of COVID-19 and, now, an ongoing recession.

The CASA Program is also about to lose a sizable grant.

The program is seeking sponsors for each child on the lawn at $35 each. As of the time of the Lions Club meeting, Burrow said there were still 48 wooden children still needed to be sponsored.

It’s also seeking business sponsorships at $200, which will warrant a sign on the courthouse lawn designating so.

Kingfisher Lions Club made a donation of $200 toward the program at the end of the meeting.

To sponsor at either level, email 4jdcasa@thecarecampus. com or call 580-2421153.

Those interesting in becoming a CASA volunteer can visit fourthjdcasa.org for more information.