Exactly what does a CASA Volunteer Do?
Volunteers get to know the child by talking with everyone in that child’s life: parents, relatives, foster parents, teachers, medical professionals, attorneys, social workers, and others. They use the information they gather to inform judges and others about what the child needs and what will be the best permanent home for them.
Primary Responsibilities
- Gather Information
- Document findings
- Appear in court
- Explain what's going on
- Be the glue!
- Recommend services
- Monitor case plans and court orders
- Report suspected abuse
We Are There For The Child
Whatever this age, children removed from the home because of childhood trauma, abuse, or neglect, face a frightening, profound unknown. We make sure they don’t face it alone. We stand by them. We are there whenever they need us, for as long as it takes to reach a safe, permanent home. We are strong, compassionate adults who are a consistent presence, who care, who listen, and who put the child’s interests before all others. We give children a say in what is happening to them. We speak for them when they cannot speak for themselves. We help them heal and thrive. We give them the support they need to be happy, successful adults. We help them find the road home, wherever it lies.
We Are There For The Judge
To make decisions that affect the rest of a child’s life, judges need to know the child. We help them do that. We take the time to get to know the child at the heart of each case. We go where they go. We talk to the people who touch their lives – parents and foster parents, family members, teachers, doctors, neighbors, friends, social workers, attorneys, and therapists. We gather the details only a dedicated volunteer can deliver. Every visit, call, and report we make gives the judges what they need to act in the best interest of the child. Every detail helps the judges move the child out of the system and into a permanent home.
We Are There To Changes Lives
And we do. Children who have a court-appointed volunteer receive more of the services that are critical to their well-being than children who do not. They are more likely to succeed in school. And while their cases are among the most difficult and heartbreaking, children with court-appointed volunteers’ cycle through fewer foster placements and spend less time being caught in the middle of custody battles. They reach safe, permanent homes and get their life together more quickly. The answer in everything else we value as a society – health, happiness, resilience, hope, strength, human potential, faith in ourselves and in our neighbors – is beyond measure.
