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"I am passionate about working with children and families. So, CASA was a perfect fit for me," Doris says.
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a volunteer group that supports and guides children in the foster care system. "Our volunteers are here out of the goodness of their heart and because they want to help children," Doris says, "there is nothing more fulfilling than positively impacting a child's life."
At the moment there are 12 trained CASA volunteers in the county and more are needed. Doris will focus on recruiting and helping to train a new group of CASA volunteers.
Volunteer advocates receive 30 hours of training through a mix of online and in-person sessions. The advocate meets with an assigned child once a month for a fun activity, and the volunteer also accompanies the child to family court hearings.
"We provide for any needs the child may have while they are in the foster system," she says, “from finding therapy for them or even if they just need a backpack".
Doris grew up in East New Market and currently lives in Cambridge. She holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland. She is no stranger to Caroline County; she worked at the Department of Social Services previously, and she went on to work in Talbot County child protective services, foster care, family services and also worked at ECI Eastern Correctional Institution. She hones her skills through supervision of various welfare programs for single parents, opioid abuse centers, elder abuse and neglect. She also has experience in planning and economic development.
