We welcome Lafayette Young Jr. as the newest member of the Georgia CASA staff! He is our Advocacy Specialist and has  dedicated his career to working with and serving vulnerable populations within the field of child welfare for nearly 14 years. Lafayette obtained an Associate's degree from Heartland Community College with a concentration on Criminal Justice. Subsequently, he earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree from Lincoln College. In addition, Lafayette recently earned his Masters of Social Work degree from Erikson Institute with a concentration in Children & Families and Child Development.

Lafayette has served as a Child Welfare Specialist within the state of Illinois. He joined the CASA family nearly four years ago, starting as Advocate Supervisor with CASA of Cook County (Chicago) and subsequently as Director of Recruitment & Training and Director of Community Outreach with CASA of Cook County.

In June, Lafayette came on staff with Georgia CASA as the Advocacy Specialist, where he is responsible for providing advocacy as it relates to kinship, permanency and education trainings for CASA affiliate staff in the state. He also brings expertise in trauma-informed care with a focus on cultural humility.