Mission

The mission of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program is to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes.

Overview

CASA is the only volunteer organization that empowers everyday citizens as appointed members of the court. In an overburdened social welfare system, abused and neglected children often slip through the cracks among hundreds of current cases. CASA volunteers change that. Appointed by judges, CASA volunteers typically handle just one case at a time-and commit to staying on that case until the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. While others may come and go, CASA volunteers provide that one constant that children need in order to thrive.

The Need for Volunteers

Your local CASA program offers a volunteer opportunity like no other. As appointed representatives of the court, CASA volunteers, also known in some areas as volunteer guardians ad litem (GALs), are empowered to make a lifelong difference in the lives of abused and neglected children. Last year, our 50,000+ CASA and GAL volunteers advocated for 225,000 children-an impressive number yet just half of the children in the child welfare system at any given time. Our volunteers are an amazing force for good, but we need more of them. Our vision is that every child who needs a volunteer will have one. With your help, we can reach that goal.

The Volunteer Commitment

In the work of child advocacy, we may spend half a day negotiating to see that a child's special needs are met. We may make 14 phone calls in search of an aunt who has not been heard from in six years. Or we may talk to a parent who has made no progress with a rehab program. We may become frustrated and angry and overwhelmed. But we do not stop. We do not give up. This advocacy in all of its persistence, diligence and commitment is what it takes for children to have a chance at a safe, permanent home.

People who give their time to CASA advocacy come from many different places. Some have years of education and professional experience working for children and families. Some have themselves grown up in the foster care system and felt the sorrow of having to move from home to home. But most are ordinary people who flourished in a warm and loving family, never once imagining that there were children who did not have caring parents.

So what does it take to become a CASA volunteer? After passing a background check and a 30-hour training course, our volunteers average about 10 hours of service per month. We also ask that volunteers dedicate themselves to a case until it is closed. The average case lasts about a year and a half. Our advocates are supervised every step of the way and always have resources readily available.

Are you ready to stand up for a child who needs you? Inquire today about the power you have to change a child's life.

Listen to these Community Connections profiles.

• CASA #1 M3U
• CASA #2 M3U
• CASA #3 M3U
• CASA #4 M3U

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