Marla Higginbotham

Executive Director

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Union County

What inspired you to get involved?

For the past 20 years, beginning with my senior thesis in college on alternative education choices for black inner- city students and my first job at the National Governor’s Association working with states to implement the National Education Goals, I have been steadfast in my commitment to the protection, safety, education and enhancement of young minds.  Currently, I am Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Union County, leading a team of outstanding individuals in serving and advocating for the most-vulnerable individuals in the county — children placed in foster care after being removed from their homes due to neglect, abuse or abandonment. CASA staff and volunteers truly make a difference in the lives of young, deserving individuals who often have limited sources of assistance and no other inspiration in their lives.

What keeps you motivated?

Results. This is my most-important motivator. Each month when I look at advocate reports submitted to the court I see how we directly impact the lives of foster children right here in Union County and feel especially motivated. Every month there is at least one special case that inspires me on a greater level. Over the holidays, it was 7-year-old IQ, who had been in foster care three years and was formally adopted by his older sister, a young woman in her early 20s just becoming an adult herself; nevertheless, she was unwaveringly committed to bringing her family back together. Real stories. Real inspiration.

What are your hopes for the future of the organization?

My hope for the future of the organization can be summed up in one word: growth. We must continue to grow the number of fragile children served. The initial cause for a child’s removal from home and placement in foster homes or residential facilities is traumatic enough; yet it is compounded when the child is most often placed with strangers in an unfamiliar environment, and this can last average 18 to 24 months. There are 560 Union County children in foster care right now and CASA of Union County currently serve 262. There’s still more work to be done. For many of these children, no matter how many times a placement changes, their CASA volunteer is the only constant in their life. Every day we continue to strive to reach our goal of providing a CASA volunteer for every Union County foster child. That is CASA of Union County’s future.