CHILD ADVOCATES OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA IS NOW CASA OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA

November 1, 2019

CLAREMORE – The Board of Directors of CASA of Northeast Oklahoma announced today its plan to expand court-appointed special advocate services into Washington County in the 11th Judicial District of Oklahoma.

Formerly Child Advocates of Northeast Oklahoma (CANO), the organization’s name was recently changed to CASA of Northeast Oklahoma in alignment with new branding and naming protocols from the National CASA Association, of which CASA of Northeast Oklahoma is a member.

The move further expands CASA of Northeast Oklahoma’s reach into the northeast region of Oklahoma and ensures that more abused and neglected children will receive the important advocacy services provided by CASA of Northeast Oklahoma’s dedicated court-appointed special advocates. District Judge Linda Thomas and Special District Judge Kyra Franks requested the program for the juvenile courts in Washington County.

“The expansion effort into the 11th Judicial District will be led by Angela Henderson, Executive Director, who four years ago successfully expanded the program into the 13th Judicial District,” said Ashley Landon, President of the CASA of Northeast Oklahoma Board of Directors.

CASA of Northeast Oklahoma began May 1, 1995 as Tri-County CASA, serving the courts of the 12th Judicial District in Rogers, Mayes, and Craig counties. On September 22, 2015, the organization expanded to serve the 13th Judicial District in Ottawa and Delaware counties, including the addition of a tribal CASA program in the Quapaw Nation’s tribal court in August 2017.

In fiscal year 2019, CASA of Northeast Oklahoma was the fastest-growing CASA program in the state of Oklahoma, serving 30 more cases than in the previous fiscal year.

Henderson has more than 15 years of experience leading CASA of Northeast Oklahoma. She is a native of Bartlesville and a 1987 graduate of Bartlesville High School.

“The opportunity to help children in the county where I grew up is a full-circle moment for me,” Henderson said. “I know firsthand how important children are to the people of Washington County. I have no doubt our first class of CASA volunteers will be a large one.”

Henderson said that the first CASA training class for Washington County will begin in January 2020.

Headquartered in Claremore, Oklahoma, CASA of Northeast Oklahoma has a satellite office in Miami, Oklahoma. Henderson said that CASA is currently seeking temporary office space in Bartlesville. For more information, call (918) 923-7276 or www.casaneok.org.