CASA for Children presented Millie Bush of Canton with its 2014 G.F. Bettineski Child Advocate of the Year award during its National CASA Annual Conference, held recently in Grapevine, Texas.

Bush was selected from more than 75,000 CASA volunteers nationwide. In 11 years of volunteer service with CASA for Children of Canton, she has worked with 49 children and 30 families. The majority of her work has involved helping children find a loving home with family members. In one case, her unwavering support of a struggling mother helped the mother realize that she needed to turn her life around for her children; after moving into safe, stable housing and getting a job, the mother and children were reunified.

Millie Bush embodies the attributes needed in juvenile court: a dedicated professional who works hard and knows the families and children; is dedicated to the goal of a safe and permanent home; respects the opinions of others; and ensures her thoughts are known, says Judge John Sumner, presiding judge of the Juvenile Court of Cherokee County. She has been a blessing to our court for more than a decade, and I can only hope that she will continue to help the judges in the difficult decisions we make on a daily basis.

In recognition of her award, Bush was honored with a special celebration in July at the Cherokee County Courthouse in downtown Canton.