What is a CASA volunteer?
In an overburdened child welfare system, abused and neglected children often slip through the cracks. That’s where CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers like you can help make a difference.
Appointed by family court judges, CASA volunteers typically handle one case at a time until the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. A CASA volunteer works through the juvenile court system to facilitate prompt delivery of services and to make independent recommendations to the court concerning the child’s well-being. Other people come and go in the child’s life, but their CASA volunteer provides a constant presence that the child needs to thrive.
CASA volunteers begin by getting to know everyone in that child's life: parents and relatives, foster parents, teachers, medical professionals, attorneys, social workers and others. They do not investigate allegations of abuse but rather compile evidence of what is in the best interest of the child. They use the information they gather to inform judges and others of what the child needs and what will be the best permanent home for them. These fact-based results are provided to the Court through a written report.
Advocates also monitor their child's case by reviewing any existing service plan, following the parents' progress in that service plan, ensuring the child is adequately cared for and that special needs are being addressed.
Who can be a CASA volunteer?
You do not have to be a lawyer or social worker to be a volunteer. We welcome people from all walks of life. We are simply looking for people who genuinely care about children and have the dedication to see their case through. As a volunteer, you will be thoroughly trained and well supported by professional staff to help you through each case.
You must pass a background check, participate in a 30-hour pre-service training course and agree to stay with a case until it is closed (a year and a half on average). Read more about the requirements and role of being a CASA volunteer.
