MARION COUNTY — A children’s advocacy group is opening a branch in Marion County and is seeking volunteers to help area children.

CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, helps children in the foster care system.

Volunteers are paired with a child and take on an advocate role in that child’s life.

The volunteer will visit the child at school, seek information from third parties about the child, and spend time with the child outside their foster home.

The volunteer may then be called upon to provide the information they’ve gathered to a judge deciding if the child should be adopted out or returned to their families.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the new Marion County branch or the Jefferson County branch, a joint training session is planned for February 25th in Dix.

You can fill out an application at Jefferson County CASA dot come and then clicking the ‘Become an Advocate’ button.