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.
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.
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.
Advocates are volunteers and are not monetarily compensated.
CASA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex or disability.
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