photo by: Contributed photo

Karen Warner, a Douglas County Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, is pictured with Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt after receiving the Outstanding Community-Based Victim Advocate Award Thursday, April 11, 2019, during the state’s annual Kansas Crime Victims’ Rights Conference in Wichita.

A woman who’s been volunteering to help children through the court system for the past eight years got a statewide honor for her efforts this week.

Karen Warner, a Douglas County Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, was presented with the Outstanding Community-Based Victim Advocate Award. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt bestowed the honor during the state’s annual Kansas Crime Victims’ Rights Conference in Wichita.

Since becoming a CASA volunteer in 2011, Warner has advocated for eight abused or neglected children during their court journeys to be placed in a safe, permanent home, according to a news release from Schmidt’s office. She’s volunteered more than 1,300 hours and driven more than 6,200 miles in the process.

“Warner has been a tireless champion for the medical and educational needs of her CASA kids, and has earned the respect of professionals in the child welfare realm,” the news release said.