NO. People from all walks of life become CASAs. After you have been accepted into the CASA program, you will receive a minimum of 30 hours of training to prepare you for your work as a CASA, and ongoing support from CASA staff.
Most CASA volunteers work full time and find the CASA experience flexible enough to accommodate their schedules. You will go to court about 4-5 times a year and attend a few daytime meetings. The rest of a CASA volunteer’s work is done on their own time – visiting the child, reading reports and records. They also meet, email and call others involved in the case. Throughout the child’s case, volunteers typically spend an average of 15 hours a month, including travel time and phone calls.
CASA volunteers are assigned to a case after the alleged child abuse or neglect has occurred and the child is placed in foster care. The CASA’s focus is on determining the child’s current and future needs. CASA staff provides emotional support and guidance throughout the case and accompanies volunteers to court hearings.
Children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. These children could be living in an emergency shelter, a foster home, a residential treatment center, or a relative’s home. They range in age from newborn to teenager and in numbers from one child on a case to a large sibling group. Volunteers can choose an age range that they prefer to work with and also whether they’d prefer to work with a sibling group or only one child. But, our goal is always to provide a CASA to every child who needs one.
CASA volunteers are never expected or encouraged to place themselves in dangerous situations. The work of CASA is challenging, but you will always have the support of a CASA staff person.
Being a CASA volunteer requires no specialized degrees or legal experience. It does require special people over the age of 21 who have:
CASA volunteers make recommendations based on the time they spend with the child, the review of records, interviews with the caseworker, the attorney for the child, the foster parents, teachers, relatives, parents, and the CASA supervisor.
The judge appoints CASA to represent the best interests of the child and make recommendations to the court. Judges respect CASA volunteers and take their recommendations into account when making decisions.
Absolutely. CASA volunteers offer children a consistent helping hand to guide them through the foster care system and a strong voice advocating on their behalf. As a result, children represented by CASA are more likely to:
A CASA does not provide legal representation in the courtroom. A CASA takes into account what a child may want and speaks specifically to what is in the best interest of the child.
No. There are other child advocacy organizations, but CASA is the only program where volunteers are appointed by the court to represent a child’s best interests. While attorneys are appointed to represent the child’s legal interests and advocate for what the child wants, CASA’s duty is to advocate for what the child needs.