If you are concerned about the children in our community who have been removed from their homes due to neglect or abuse, and you want to prevent them from getting lost in the system, then you already have what it takes to become a CASA volunteer!
You do not have to be a lawyer or a social worker to be a volunteer. We welcome people from all walks of life. We are simply looking for people who care about children and have common sense. 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 pre-service training course and agree to stay with a case until it is closed (approximately 18 months).
The actual time commitment on a monthly basis varies and is quite flexible, but it generally involves 2-3 hours per week for the first month of a new case and then 3-5 hours per month after that. Volunteers are generally assigned only one case at a time.
Most importantly, being a CASA volunteer requires your compassion and willingness to advocate for a child — to speak up for a child in court. We do know that the child you are assigned to will have a chance of a better life in a stable home if you are involved.
CASA volunteers listen first. Then they act.
Volunteers get to know the child by talking with everyone in that child’s life: parents and relatives, foster parents, teachers, attorneys, social workers and others. 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.
Imagine what it would be like to lose your parents, not because of something you did, but because they can’t, or simply won’t, take care of you. Now into your life come dozens of strangers: police, foster parents, social workers, judges, lawyers, therapist, and more.
Having a CASA volunteer means having a trained and committed adult by your side who has been appointed by a judge to protect and advocate for your best interests. It can mean the difference between homelessness and a safe home, between dropping out and completing school, between jail and becoming a productive member of society. Nobody longs for a safe and loving family more than a child in foster care.
As a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteer, you are empowered by the courts to help make this a reality. You will not only bring positive change to the lives of these vulnerable
What is a volunteer advocate?
A volunteer advocate is appointed by a judge to be an independent voice in court for an abused or neglected child who has been placed in foster care. CASA volunteers come from all walks of life. They are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They speak up for children who have been neglected, abused, ignored. They’re trained and they have a cause – with a first and last name.
How does a volunteer advocate differ from a caseworker with the Department of Family Services?
Caseworkers are employed by state governments. They work on as many as 30 cases at a time and are frequently unable to conduct a comprehensive investigation of each. The CASA worker is a volunteer with more time and a smaller caseload (an average of 1-2 cases at a time). The CASA volunteer does not replace a caseworker on a case; he or she is an independent appointee of the court. The CASA volunteer examines a child’s case thoroughly, knows about available community resources, and makes a recommendation to the court, independent of state agency restrictions.
How does a volunteer advocate differ from an attorney?
The volunteer advocate does not provide legal representation in the courtroom; that is the role of the attorney. A volunteer advocate speaks specifically to what is in the best interests of the child and provides crucial background information that assists attorneys in presenting their cases.
Are Advocates compensated?
Advocates are volunteers and are not monetarily compensated.