"I wanted to make a significant impact on the lives of children," said Judy Toran Cousin, a mother of three with a background in business.

Through Voices For Children, a Boulder-based organization that trains volunteers to become court-appointed special advocates for abused and neglected children, Cousin began her journey as an advocate, or CASA.

When a court case begins, the court appoints an attorney to represent the child, and in complex cases, that attorney will request a CASA to be assigned to the case. "The CASA must be familiar with all aspects of the case, to review it for others involved," said Cousin.

After completing VFC's rigorous training program, Cousin took on her first case of two siblings placed into separate foster homes. Her calendar filled quickly with court hearings, supervised parental visits, conferences, phone calls to various agencies and her favorite part, weekly visits with the children.

CASAs usually volunteer 12 to 15 hours per month, yet Cousin often dedicated 15 hours per week to her case, which took 14 months.

For information about volunteering with Voices For Children or other agencies, call the Volunteer Connection at 303-444-4904.