A $72,000 grant will help the lives of abused and neglected Lexington County children.

The Cass Elias Mc-Carter Guardian ad Litem Program has been awarded a $72,185 Branding Campaign grant from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem Association for Children.

Funds will be used to tailor a national public awareness campaign about child abuse and neglect for local markets, and to distribute the campaign.

There are nearly 950 CASA/GAL programs nationwide, including 48 state offices, that recruit, train and support volunteers who advocate in court for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

Their advocacy enables judges to make the most well-informed decisions for each child.

The federal grant funds distributed through National CASA/GAL are provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, US Department of Justice, as authorized under the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990.

In 2018, National CASA was awarded nearly $10 million in federal grants.

To learn more, call 1-800-277-0113, or visit us at www.gal.sc.gov .