A CASA volunteer, or Court Appointed Special Advocate, works one-on-one with a foster youth, advocating for their best interest. Having a stable relationship with a supportive adult can help children who have experienced abuse and neglect do well, even when they have faced significant trauma and hardship.
CASA For Kids was founded in 1994 and is currently serving over 100 children. Our volunteers spend countless hours advocating for children who are victims of abuse and neglect. It is our primary intent to advocate for the best interests of abused, neglected, and exploited children through the use of trained community volunteers, community education projects, and federal and state legislation.
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The National CASA Association is a network of nearly 1,000 programs that work to recruit, train and support court-appointed volunteers to stand up for the rights of abused and neglected children. Volunteer advocates offer judges and officials with the critical information they need to ensure that each child’s rights and needs are being attended to while in foster care. For many abused children, a CASA volunteer is the only constant adult presence in their lives.
Whether you choose to engage in impactful community outreach initiatives or step into the transformative role of a Volunteer Advocate, guiding a child through the complexities of their court case, your support and active involvement are indispensable to CASA’s mission. Join us in making a lasting difference in the lives of children who need it most.
There are no special educational or professional requirements, but advocates must be 21 years old. Volunteers are carefully screened and receive 30 hours of training before being assigned to children.
The CASA volunteer’s primary responsibility is to serve as the “eyes and ears” of the Court, gathering information from the child, his/her biological parents, foster parents, teachers, counselors, etc. and make recommendations to the judge as to what is in the child’s best interest.
CASA For Kids is always in need of volunteers outside of our advocates. If you are an individual that may not be able to be an advocate for a child we have opportunities to help with:
CASA volunteers are ordinary citizens, 21 years of age or older. No special or legal background is required. However, volunteers are screened closely for objectivity, competence, and commitment.
No. Other child advocacy organizations exist, but CASA is the only program in which volunteers are appointed as officers of the court, by the judge, to represent a child’s best interest.
The CASA volunteer continues on the case until the case is permanently resolved. Each volunteer is asked to make an initial one-year commitment to the program. One of the primary benefits of the CASA program is that, unlike others involved in the case, the volunteer is a consistent figure in the court proceedings and the child’s life. The CASA volunteer provides much-needed continuity for the system and, more importantly, for the child.
A CASA volunteer provides a judge with a carefully researched background of the child to help the court make a decision about that child’s future. Each case is as unique as the child involved. The CASA volunteer makes recommendations to the judge through court reports, and follows through on the case until it is permanently resolved.
In order to make a recommendation to the court, the CASA volunteer must independently investigate a case. This includes talking with the child, parents, family members, social workers, school officials, health providers and others who are knowledgeable about the child’s history and/or current situation. The CASA volunteer also reviews all records pertaining to the child school, medical and social worker reports; and other relevant documents.
CASA volunteers undergo a thorough training program conducted by the CASA For Kids program. In this extensive 30-hour pre-service training, volunteers learn about courtroom procedure, effective advocacy techniques for children, and are educated about specific topics ranging from seminars on mandated reporting, attachment theory and childhood development, court report writing and more. All of our CASA volunteers are supported by their CASA Volunteer Supervisor who will provide supervision throughout the entirety of the case.
