We are pleased to spotlight Judge Amanda Heath, a juvenile court judge in the Augusta Judicial Circuit covering Burke, Columbia, and Richmond counties, a circuit that hears around 400 dependency petitions annually. Judge Heath was the first African-American woman to serve in this capacity. In addition to nearly five years on the bench, Judge Heath previously served as both a child attorney and Guardian ad Litem/child attorney in juvenile court dependency proceedings.

Born in Marietta, Judge Heath and her sister grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where the family moved due to her father’s job relocation shortly after her birth. She remained connected to her Georgia roots through spending summers with her parents’ families in South Georgia. Upon her graduation from Hampton University, she knew she wanted to return to Georgia, so she attended law school at Mercer University in Macon. Calling Augusta home since 2011, Judge Heath gives back generously to her community through various service opportunities, including volunteer work with the children’s ministry at her church. Having parents who taught her ‘to whom much is given, much will be required,’ she puts this philosophy into practice through service to her community.

While in law school, Judge Heath was introduced to the CASA program at a Legal Aid Volunteer Association meeting. As soon as the CASA representative began speaking, she knew she wanted to get involved. With a love for working with children, she saw CASA as a way to advocate for children who truly needed a voice at very difficult times. Judge Heath was sworn-in as a Central Georgia CASA volunteer in 2009 to serve the Macon Judicial Circuit, serving for a year while in law school. She fondly remembers the time she took CPRS (Court Process Reporting System) training when she became a judge. Part of the training was to set up a username and password and there were technical issues. As it turned out, she was already in the CPRS system from when she served as a CASA volunteer.

Judge Heath’s time as a CASA volunteer provided her with several impactful lessons that she continues to keep in the front of her mind even today:

Judge Heath has sound advice for CASA volunteers who work every day providing best interest advocacy for children in foster care. She encourages volunteers to never hesitate to share what they know or make a recommendation that conflicts with what others in the courtroom may say. While it can be intimidating if a volunteer’s recommendation is the opposite of everyone else, volunteers should still share what has been observed and what is believed to be in the best interest of the children no matter what. Judges want as much information as possible to make the best decision for the well-being of the children and families that come before them in their courtrooms. Be bold!

In her role, Judge Heath has seen a recent increase in youth in foster care becoming subjected to sex trafficking and entering the system as CSEC (Commercially Sexually Exploited Children). CASA volunteers and staff can have a significant role in this area by being stable and committed adult supporters who are trauma-responsive to the unique needs of these youth and help them heal from their trauma.

In reflecting on successes in the child welfare system, Judge Heath states the following: “Anytime we can return children to a safe, loving home environment with their parent/guardian or that of a loving caregiver (kin/fictive kin/adoptive parent), that is the best day for the child! I’ve observed that the child welfare system is doing a better job in their diligent searches to exhaust all possible kinship placements or guardianships where appropriate to keep children with caregivers they identify as their family.”

Judge Heath highly commends the CASA program for the positive impact it has on the child welfare system. The CASA program provides a great service to the children, DFCS, and the court by being excellent advocates and investigators. CASA volunteers go the extra mile to ask the question, follow up with the school/agency, or research local community supports that benefit children and families. CASA volunteers may also help find relatives who want to serve as guardians for children. Especially during the pandemic, the CASA program was innovative in ensuring socially distanced appropriate contact with children was made via ride-byes, driveway check-ins, or virtual visits to make sure children continued to be supported.

Judge Heath has served as the board chair for Child Enrichment, the umbrella program for CASA of the Augusta Judicial Circuit, and recently was appointed to the National CASA Judicial Leadership Council. In addition to her volunteer work, Judge Heath enjoys traveling, reading, and singing.

After a challenging year, Georgia CASA is proud to offer our annual training opportunity – the Georgia CASA Conference – in person at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on Saturday, August 7 to 375 CASA volunteers, board members, and staff throughout the state. Additionally, an online encore version will be available the following week.

In addition to the in-person conference, this year Georgia CASA is hosting a virtual encore following the live conference so everyone who would like to attend the conference can. With the online encore experience, which will take place during the week of August 9 - 13, all participants will have the opportunity to watch recordings of each session from the conference. Registration for the online encore is now available here.

The Georgia CASA Conference offers a full day of 15 workshops for attendees to hear from professionals in the fields of child abuse and neglect, child welfare, and volunteer and nonprofit management. This year's conference includes an opening session and plenary and the Awards of Excellence for affiliates. The day also includes the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon featuring keynote speaker Sixto Cancel and the presentation of the CASA Volunteer of the Year Award, Board Leadership Award, and CASA Champion Award.

Welcome to the following new board members, who began their 3-year term of service on July 1st:

Congratulations to long-serving board member Jack McMillan (Global Drying Equipment) who has become a life board member.

Special acknowledgments are made to the following board officers who will continue in their leadership roles for fiscal year 2022:

On the evening of May 18, Georgia CASA held An Evening of Appreciation celebratory event for our donors and supporters. The event shared how generous donations help to support meaningful CASA connections all across the state. The experiences and stories shared were just a few examples of how CASA advocacy has continued to shape and influence the lives of children and families and the child welfare system.

We encourage you to watch the recorded event if you have not already done so. You will be inspired and encouraged as you view stories from CASA volunteers and youth with foster care experience. Also included are brief videos about Georgia CASA's support of the CASA network during 2020 and a montage from various donors about why they support Georgia CASA.

If you are looking for a brief, inspirational introduction to the CASA network in Georgia, be sure to share the recorded event link with your friends and family.

At the Spring general membership meeting of The Junior League of Atlanta, Georgia CASA board member Sandy Day received a President's Award for her courageous efforts in furthering the League's mission through her hard work, tenacity, and service to the Atlanta community.

Thank you to our donors who supported the work of Georgia CASA for Spring 2021. Because of your investment, more children were provided with a CASA volunteer to amplify their voices. We truly appreciate your investment in children!

If you are not yet part of our donor group, you can give online here! Please consider becoming a Georgia CASA donor or give your next gift as a repeat donor. You can make a difference with a gift of any amount - and a recurring gift is an easy and convenient way to give! Your support has been critical and much appreciated as CASA volunteers continued to serve children and 'keep their eyes on them' during the challenging times of COVID-19. As we look toward the future, CASA volunteers continue to be a critical component of the child welfare system.

Georgia CASA | 404-874-2888 | 800-251-4012 | gacasa.org

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