A display of blue and white pinwheels was recently placed on the courthouse lawn to raise community awareness of child abuse and neglect in Kingfisher County.

The display represents 63 substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect in Kingfisher County during 2021.

The pinwheels will be present on the lawn through the month of April which is National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness month.

The Fourth Judicial District Court Appointed Special Advocates Program (CASA), managed by the Garfield County Child Advocacy Council (CAC), is reaching out to the community to help raise awareness of child abuse and neglect in Kingfisher County, Executive Director Dustin Albright said.

“Kingfisher County has seen a 20% increase of confirmed child abuse cases from 2020 to 2021,” Albright said.

The county’s jump in numbers are similar to increases noted statewide and the pandemic may have played a role.

Shutdowns, quarantines and social distancing practices in 2020 left many at-risk families stressed and isolated and may have caused cases of abuse and neglect to go undiscovered and unreported until normal activities resumed.

Businesses and individuals sponsored the display by donating $25 per pinwheel to the local CASA program and additional donations are sought to support ongoing operations of CASA operations, Albright said.

He added that many options are available to serve children in the Kingfisher County child welfare system, whether it be sponsoring a pinwheel, donations or serving as a CASA volunteer.

Anyone age 21 or older can volunteer to speak up for a child in court, said Alyson Burrow CASA volunteer coordinator and victim advocate.

“As a CASA volunteer, your voice can help these children find safe, permanent homes,” she added.

Serving as an independent advocate for the child’s best interests, CASA volunteers review records, meet with the child, talk to relevant adults and service providers and otherwise monitor the case until a permanent plan is achieved for the child.

Volunteers serve by court order as an officer of the Kingfisher County District Court and are directly responsible to the CASA supervisor.

Training for CASA volunteers is offered two to three times per year. This training is online and in-person and takes about five weeks to complete (approximately 30 hours of training), Burrow said.

“Currently there are five cases of child abuse or ne glect in Kingfisher County and only three active CASA volunteers,” Burrow said.

Only one case is assigned to each volunteer, which can take anywhere from six months to several years to go through the court system, so two of those cases have been assigned to Garfield County CASA, she added.

“Ideally, a minimum of 15 volunteers are needed in Kingfisher County to serve the community,” Burrow said, “and we would love to train new volunteers as soon as possible.”

She stressed the importance of CASA as being a consistent face of support for the child. Generally volunteers will contribute about eight to 10 hours a month of service, she added.

“CASA volunteers provide someone to bond with the child and look out for their best interest,” Burrow said.

Through donations and pinwheel sponsorships, financial support is provided for training CASA volunteers as well as supplying resources which provide a safe and positive environment for children and families served by the CAC, Albright said.

“Help us spread community awareness and prevent abuse happening to a child,” Albright said.

If you would like to be a sponsor, send a donation or want more information about the CASA program contact: Fourth Judicial District CASA Program,1002 E. Broadway Enid, OK 73701, (580) 242-1153.