Kirsten Williams has been honored by the Okanogan County Department of Juvenile and Family Services as court-appointed special advocate for 2008.
     She provided individualized advocacy for the best interests of 10 children from eight families in the two years she has been a CASA volunteer, according to the announcement.
     Williams has volunteered 323 hours of service by working closely with all parties involved in her cases. Her ability to focus on the family and the individual child is evident with her recommendations for two of the children to be reunified with their fathers, the announcement continued.
     She has remained a constant figure in the lives of the children in court, and her willingness to travel far and wide in Okanogan County speaks volumes for her care and concern for the children, according to the announcement.
     Court-appointed special advocates receive background investigations and a minimum of 40 hours of specialized training prior to being sworn in by the Superior Court judge to serve as volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children in juvenile dependency cases, the announcement continued.
     More information is available from Tim Hargraves, 422-7257.