Luna County's Court Appointed Special Advocates program has been working hard to ensure children in foster care are well prepared to return to school.

The program, which covers Luna, Hidalgo and Grant Counties, purchased 85 pairs of shoes for children in the tri-county area.

"This year we were fortunate enough to have additional funds to be able to provide these children with shoes. In the past, we have been able to help our foster children with backpacks and other back to school supplies," Vivian Silva, CASA program director, said. "This year however, we decided to go with something different that would help foster parents, adoptive parents and biological parents with the financial burden they can face when getting their child or children ready to go back to school."

There are about 85 children in foster care between the tri-county area and cases are still coming in. CASA is in need of volunteers in all three counties.

CASA volunteers are strong advocates for children in the foster care system. Advocates visit foster children at school and in other settings, and then report back to the courts so they can ensure the child's educational, psychological, and medical needs are being met.

Pastor Joseph Hill, one of the program's newest CASA volunteers, added, "Some of society's most precious members are our children. They are our future. They can also be our most vulnerable and overlooked population. We all should find ways we can contribute to our next generation. Some of us will teach, some of us will coach, some of us will inspire, and I'm glad to advocate for kids who don't always have a voice."

To find out how you can help be a voice for an abused and/or neglected child in court, please contact CASA of Luna/Hidalgo/Grant County via email at casa@lunacountynm.us, or call 575-567-1186. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, please contact Jessica Olivas via e-mail Jessica.Olivas@state.nm.us, or call 575-740-3080.