CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate)
CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for a child's best interests until the case is closed and the child is in a safe, permanent home. To do this a CASA volunteer will use every opportunity to work with legal and child welfare professionals, educators and service providers to ensure that judges have all the information they need to make the most well-informed decisions for the child.
How are CASA volunteers different than social workers, attorneys and others working with children in court?
- CASA volunteers are assigned to only one or two children or sibling groups at a time.
- CASA volunteers stay involved on the case from the time of appointment until the child achieves permanency.
- Because of the small number of children a volunteer serves, they have more time to commit to each child.
- CASA volunteers are specially trained to consider issues relevant to the best interests of the child, which may be different than the interests of other parties or the child’s wishes. Traditional attorneys who represent children are required to advocate for their client’s—the child’s—wishes.
