East Central Indiana CASA, Inc.

09/04/2026

We’re excited to celebrate GAL/Staff Advocate Ashleigh Serf, who was accepted into the Leadership Academy of Madison County 2026–2027 class! 🎉

Ashleigh attended last night’s Welcome Reception alongside CASA Volunteer Supervisor Kaydee Tipton, a member of the Leadership Academy’s 2024 class.

We’re proud to have CASA represented by leaders who continue to learn, grow, and stay connected to the community we serve. 💙

Congratulations, Ashleigh! We can’t wait to see what this year brings!

09/04/2026

CASA MYTH #3

“I’d have to know exactly what to say in court.”

THE REALITY:
You won’t be expected to figure it out on your own. CASA volunteers receive training before taking a case and have CASA staff there to guide and support them along the way.

09/02/2026

🌈 FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD TO CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDREN! 👠

There’s no place like home—and every child deserves a safe one. ❤️

Join East Central Indiana CASA on Wednesday, October 28 for Champions for Children: From Scared to SAFE! An Oz-inspired evening celebrating courage, heart, hope and the people who make a difference for children in our community.

👠 What’s waiting down the Yellow Brick Road?
✨ Hors d’oeuvres + dinner
✨ Silent auction filled with treasures worthy of the Emerald City
✨ CASA Volunteer of the Year recognition
✨ Judge Brinkman Child Advocate Awards
✨ Wizard of Oz-inspired costume contest + prizes!

Costumes are encouraged, so break out the ruby slippers, channel your favorite Oz character or just come as yourself!

📅 Wednesday, October 28, 2026
⏰ Doors open at 5:45 PM
📍 LOVEvents Banquet Hall
1803 Broadway St., Anderson

🎟️ Tickets: $60 per person

And while it will absolutely be a fun night, the reason behind it matters.
Madison County ranks among Indiana’s top five counties for substantiated child abuse and neglect cases. More than 1,200 children move through our local court system each year, and CASA advocates help make sure vulnerable children have someone consistently showing up, speaking up and advocating for their best interests.

Your ticket helps us recruit and train the volunteers who become that person for a child.

Whether you have the courage of the Lion, the heart of the Tin Man, the wisdom of the Scarecrow or simply believe that every child deserves a safe place to call home, we hope you'll join us. 🌈

Because every child deserves someone beside them on the road from scared to SAFE. ❤️

🎟️ Get your tickets here:
https://givebutter.com/c/CASAScaredSafe2026

Please share and help us fill the room with Champions for Children! 👠🌈

09/02/2026

👏 Congratulations to former ECI CASA Board Member Rick Vale on being awarded the 2026 Book of Golden Deeds Award by the Anderson Noon Exchange Club!

This recognition honors individuals who have made a meaningful difference through their service to others—and Rick is certainly deserving.

We are grateful for the time, leadership and heart Rick has given to East Central Indiana CASA and to our community over the years. 💙

Congratulations, Rick, on this well-deserved honor! 🌟

09/01/2026

September is National Kinship Care Month. 💙

Sometimes the person who can provide a child with safety and stability isn’t a stranger.

It’s Grandma.
An aunt or uncle.
An older sibling.
A cousin.
A family friend who has always felt like family.

For children involved in the child welfare system, those connections can mean so much more than familiarity. They can mean staying connected to family, traditions, community, memories—and the people who already know and love them.

CASA volunteers advocate for the best interest of the child, and part of that work can include asking important questions about the people already in a child’s life.

Who does this child trust?
Who has been there for them?
What relationships are important to preserve?
Who belongs in this child’s village?

Because sometimes supporting a child means helping make sure the people who matter most don’t get lost along the way.

This September, we recognize the grandparents, relatives, and kinship caregivers who step forward and say: You belong with us. 💙

09/01/2026

From the ECI CASA Team

We get to see what the newspaper article can’t possibly fit on the page.

We see the long days. The phone calls. The problem solving. The advocacy. The difficult decisions. The celebrations when something finally goes right. And the determination to keep going when the work feels especially heavy.

Annette has spent years advocating for children, families and women in our community, and we couldn’t be prouder to see her recognized as one of Madison County’s Influential Women of 2026.

But what makes this recognition especially meaningful to us isn’t just what Annette has accomplished—it’s the way she brings people with her.

She believes in her team. She believes in our volunteers. And most importantly, she believes fiercely in the children we serve and in the responsibility we all have to make sure their voices are heard.

Annette may be quick to give the credit to everyone around her, so we’ll happily take this opportunity to turn it back toward her for a minute. ❤️

Congratulations, Annette. This one is very well deserved.

We’re proud of you, grateful for your leadership, and very lucky to have you leading ECI CASA. 🌟

From Annette

I’m incredibly honored to be recognized as one of Madison County’s Influential Women for 2026 alongside so many friends and truly incredible women in our community. And there are so many women whose names aren’t on these pages who are doing important work every single day—you deserve the recognition too. ❤️

Anyone running a nonprofit in 2026 knows this work can be tough. There are days when an extra little boost of encouragement and a reminder that the work matters comes at exactly the right time.

But none of what I do happens alone. I’m incredibly lucky to have a team at East Central Indiana CASA that shows up every day for children and families, supports one another through the hard days, and keeps finding ways to move this work forward.

Thank you to The Herald Bulletin for this recognition, and congratulations to all of the women being honored. I’m very grateful to be among you. 🌟

— Annette Craycraft
Executive Director, East Central Indiana CASA

08/30/2026

Some kids have a whole room full of adults making decisions about their lives.

Some kids are desperate for that one adult to be their voice.

That’s what a CASA is.

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. A CASA is a trained volunteer appointed by a judge to advocate for a child who is involved in the child welfare system.

They get to know the child. They listen. They talk with the important people in the child’s life. They ask questions. They follow up. And they make sure the child’s needs, experiences and best interests don’t get lost in a complicated system.

A CASA isn’t the child’s attorney, therapist, foster parent or caseworker.

They’re something different.

They’re a consistent person who keeps showing up.

When placements change, court dates come and go, and the road ahead feels uncertain, a CASA walks beside them.

And right now, there are children in our own communities who need someone willing to do exactly that.

❤️ East Central Indiana CASA

You don’t have to know the court system. You don’t need a special degree. You just need the willingness to learn, listen and show up.

Could you be that person for a child?

08/28/2026

“I’d love to be a CASA, but I just don’t have the time.”

That’s one of the biggest things that can hold someone back from volunteering.

But after a year and a half as a CASA volunteer, Barbara Clark wants people to know: it doesn’t take a ton of time to make a difference. 💙

CASA isn’t about having an empty calendar. It’s about choosing to make room for one child who needs a consistent adult paying attention, asking questions, and speaking up for their best interests.

A few hours of your month can become something much bigger in the life of a child.

🎥 Hear from Barbara about her experience as a CASA volunteer.

Want to learn more about becoming a CASA? Send us a message. There’s no commitment in simply finding out what it takes.

08/28/2026

CASA MYTH #2

“I don’t have enough time to be a CASA.”

THE REALITY:
You don’t need endless free time. Many CASA volunteers have jobs, families, and full lives. It does take commitment, but a few hours of your time each month can make a meaningful difference for a child.

08/25/2026

Two of our agency’s favorite BSU Social Work professors! Ball State Social Work Department

Year 39 for Professor Judy Gray and Year 56 loading for Dr. Ron Dolon!!