What is CASA?

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is a trained citizen (21 years or older) who is appointed by a judge to represent the best interest of a child in court. The children that CASA volunteers advocate for are before the court as a result of abuse or neglect as defined by the state child welfare laws, living at home or in out-of-home care. CASA best interest advocacy is driven by the guiding principle that children grow and develop best with their family of origin if that can safely be achieved.

CASA volunteers undergo a thorough training course conducted by the local CASA program. The pre-service training is 30 hours and utilizes the National CASA/GAL Association’s training curriculum. CASA volunteers learn about the roles and responsibilities of CASA and how this role fits into the overall system, courtroom procedure and child welfare laws, resilience and trauma, effective communication skills, mental illness, substance abuse, poverty, cultural competence, domestic violence, effective advocacy techniques for children including for educational needs, older youth and LGBTQ youth, court report writing, and are educated about specific topics ranging from child sexual abuse to discussions on childhood development and adolescent behavior. Volunteer advocate trainees will also observe dependency court proceedings. The culmination of the pre-service training is the swearing-in ceremony by the judge. In addition to the initial training CASA volunteers receive, they are also expected to complete 12 hours of in-service training annually.

Caseworkers are employed by state and county governments. They work on multiple cases at a time. The CASA volunteer is assigned to only one child or sibling group at a time — an average of 1-2 cases—and therefore, has more time to research each child’s individual needs. The CASA volunteer does not replace a caseworker on a case; they are an independent appointee of the Court and can examine a child’s case thoroughly, explore community resources, and make recommendations to the Court, independent of all other parties. Additionally, the CASA volunteer does NOT provide direct services to the child and parties involved in the case.

The CASA volunteer does not provide legal representation in the courtroom. That is the role of the attorney or Guardian ad litem (GAL) who provides legal representation for the child. A GAL typically represents many children, whereas a CASA volunteer is assigned to only one child or sibling group at a time. However, the CASA volunteer does provide crucial background information that assists attorneys in presenting their cases.

Each case is different. A CASA volunteer usually spends more time conducting research and interviews prior to the first court appearance. Once the initial investigation is complete, volunteers spend approximately 10-15 hours a month maintaining contacts and gathering information. CASA volunteers visit in-person with the child(ren) they are assigned to at least monthly. Volunteers will also be expected to submit a court report prior to each hearing and be present at each court hearing regarding their case.

CASA volunteers remain committed to their assigned case until it is permanently resolved, i.e., when the child is deemed to be safe and dependency is terminated, which could take anywhere from 18 to 24 months. One of the primary benefits of the CASA program is that, unlike other court principals who often rotate cases, the CASA volunteer is a consistent figure in the proceedings and provides continuity for a child.

Yes! Over half of our volunteers are employed. A lot of the work can be done over the phone, through email, in the evenings and on the weekends.

Start your journey with Tioga County CASA by telling us more about you.