Dr. William C. Bell elected to National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association Board of Trustees
Casey Family Programs President and CEO Dr. William C. Bell was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association.
Dr. Bell brings more than 35 years of experience in human services and child welfare to the National CASA Association, a nationwide network of nearly 1,000 CASA and Guardian Ad Litem programs that supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy on behalf of abused or neglected children.
“Dr. Bell is one of the world’s foremost experts on at-risk youth, child abuse, neglect and trauma. National CASA is honored to welcome Dr. Bell as a trustee to our Board,” said Board Chair Bill Collins. “He will add tremendous value to National CASA as we work toward a world where every abused or neglected child has a caring, consistent adult to advocate for his or her well-being, and is given the opportunity to thrive in a safe and loving home.”
Dr. Bell serves on a number of boards and has received numerous awards for his work on behalf of abused or neglected children. He has been a member of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Youth at Risk, the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care, and the executive committee of the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators.
“I’m honored to join the board of National CASA and support its important work of building hope and opportunities for our nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Dr. Bell. “This incredible community-based network of people works every day to elevate the best interests of children and their families during some of the most challenging times in their lives. Through this work, CASA plays a critical role in shaping the conversation around how we as a nation can best support the safety and success of all of our children and families.”
There are more than 76,000 CASA volunteers serving more than 251,000 children, but approximately 450,000 children are without an advocate. National CASA Association is working in partnership with its state and local programs in 49 states to close that gap.