About Us

What is a CASA Volunteer?

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is a trained citizen who is appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in Family Court.  The CASA program provides children with a CASA Volunteer, who speaks for that child in court.  CASA Volunteers receive special training in advocacy.

When an abused or neglected child becomes caught up in the complexities of the court system, the CASA Volunteer is there to tell the child's story.  The CASA Program recruits, screens, trains and supervises CASA Volunteers so that they can perform this important advocacy role for children.  Volunteers go through extensive screening procedures.  After an in-depth interview, each volunteer goes through a criminal background check, (The Central Sex Offender Registry and Health and Welfare child abuse records are checked.)  Three letters of reference are required for each applicant.

CASA volunteer applicants receive an initial pre-service CASA 101 training lasting 30 hours.  Training topics include the following: aspects of child abuse and neglect, advocacy for children, the court system and community resources.  Volunteers are required to obtain 12 hours of continuing education each year.

When a CASA volunteer is appointed to a child's case, the CASA Volunteer takes the time to find out as much as possible about that child.  CASA Volunteers review records, interview family, relatives, teachers, service providers, and -- most important -- the child.  These volunteers then appear in court, alongside attorneys and caseworkers, to recommend to a judge what's best for that child's future.  We know that a child who is represented by a CASA volunteer stands a better chance of living in a safe, permanent home.

Research into the effectiveness of CASA programs shows CASA involvement can have important positive effects on child abuse and neglect cases:

 
  • Having a CASA volunteer reduced the time children spent in out-of-home care.  Once a CASA was assigned to a case and has begun interviewing parties and providing information to the court, the average time children spent in out-of-home care was shorter than in control groups.

 
  • The CASA volunteer contacted the child and visited the home in a higher percentage of cases than either caseworkers or attorneys, resulting in a more thorough investigation of the case.  CASA's tend to make more recommendations to the court than caseworkers.

 
  • Judges gave CASA's high marks.  In evaluating CASA volunteers, judges rated CASA's positively on the quality of their written reports, verbal testimony, overall case assessments, and appropriateness of their recommendations.

The CASA program helps children find safe, nurturing homes.

How Do CASA Volunteers Help Children?

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes.  Volunteers stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence in their lives.

Independent research has demonstrated that children with a CASA volunteer are substantially less likely to spend time in long-term foster care and less likely to reenter care.

Who are CASA Volunteers?Whlunteers?

Last year, more than 70,900 CASA and guardian ad litem (GAL) volunteers helped 237,000 abused and neglected children find safe, permanent homes. CASA volunteers are everyday citizens who have undergone screening and training with their local CASA/GAL program the Children CASA Volunteer

Who are the children that CASA Help?

Judges appoint CASA volunteers to represent the best interests of children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Each year, more than 780,000 children experience foster care in this country. Because there are not enough CASA volunteers to represent all of the children in care, judges typically assign CASA volunteers to their most difficult cases.

CASA is founded on the belief that the health, safety, and spirit of a child should be the primary concern when families are in crisis. To that end, it is dedicated to providing every abused and neglected child in the court system with a consistent and caring advocate - a court appointed special advocate (CASA) for every child who needs one

There are hundreds of abused and neglected children in your community who need your support. If you can, become a volunteer. All children have a right to a safe, permanent, and loving home. Each year in the United States, thousands of children are abused, neglected, or abandoned by their families. Over 300,000 children each year are removed from their homes, and placed in foster care or institutions. These children end up in court, where their only crime is that they are victims. 


It is up to a judge to decide these children’s future. Should they remain in foster care? Should they be reunited with parents? Should they be adopted?

In these cases, many children also become victims a second time -- "lost" in an overburdened child welfare system. Sometimes, a child can remain adrift in foster care for months, or even years.There are now 950 CASA rograms in every state across the country including Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Research suggests that children who have been assigned CASA volunteers tend to spend less time in court and less time within the foster care system than those who do not have CASA representation. Judges have observed that CASA children also have better chances of finding permanent homes than non-CASA children.

We are always looking for new volunteers to join our efforts. No matter what your strengths are, you'll be an important addition to our extraordinary team. Contact us today for more information about volunteering or providing a donation!