Endowment

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is a trained citizen who is assigned by a judge to represent the best interests in court of a child who has been abused or neglected. Children helped by CASA volunteers include those who are in the legal custody of the state (foster care).

A CASA volunteer provides a judge with carefully researched background details about the child to help the court make a sound decision about that child’s future. Each foster care case is as unique as the child involved. The CASA volunteer makes recommendations in the best interest of the child – whether it is to return to their parents, to be placed with other family members, to be freed for adoption, or sometimes to remain in foster care a while longer. The CASA volunteer attends Court approximately once every 6 months to make recommendations and follows through on the case until it is permanently resolved.

A CASA volunteer is an individual who is at least 21 years of age, has successfully passed the application and screening process, is trained by the program, sworn-in as a CASA by the Judge, and appointed by the court to advocate for children who come into the court system as a result of abuse or neglect. The CASA volunteer respects a child’s inherent right to grow up with dignity in a safe environment that meets the child’s best interest, and advocates for the child’s best interest in the court at every stage of the case once appointed by the court. CASA volunteers are recruited without regard to race, gender, handicap, or age. The sole qualification for volunteer recruitment is the individual’s suitability to perform the CASA role.