What does a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) do?

  CASA volunteer gathers information about a child’s situation while in foster care and monitors the placement situation to ensure that the child is safe and needs are being met. Volunteers make regular visits to the child in his/her placement; build supportive relationships with the child to best understand their specific needs; and ensure that the child receives necessary medical, psychological, educational and other services. The volunteer attends court hearings and other meetings, in order to make recommendations to the court on the child’s behalf regarding care, placement, and other issues.

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• The CASA Volunteer Advocate, also known as the Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) is authorized by Texas law to assist with determining the best interests of the child or children. GALs have access to school, medical and other confidential records; can receive all court and legal documents; and can participate in all meetings, and court proceedings related to the case.

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• Provide a consistent presence for the child during an otherwise tumultuous time
  While State caseworkers and others involved in a case can change frequently, CASA aims to be a consistent presence in the child’s life. Volunteers work closely with all legal professionals involved with the child's case and are supported by a CASA volunteer supervisor on staff who guides the volunteer's advocacy work and ensures the volunteer is properly supported in their role to provide the best outcome for the child. 

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Every year our Program saves our local government vital funding by providing advocacy support to our kids in care via professionally trained volunteers. Without our volunteers our kids would be served by those who are paid through local county funds. 

 

People who serve as CASA Advocates

Our volunteers represent nearly every age group, ethnicity, profession, educational background and lifestyle there is. They are teachers, business professionals, healthcare workers, college students, stay at home moms, and retired persons. They are anywhere from 21 to over 70 years of age. Some have a high school education, while others have Ph.D.s and law degrees. In short, there is no typical CASA volunteer. However, the one thing all of our volunteers have in common is a genuine interest in the well being of the children we serve. A good advocate can communicate well verbally and in writing, is persistent and committed, and understands the significance and responsibility associated with their role as a CASA. For an official list of requirements for our volunteer advocates, click here.

 

Time investment

More than half of our CASA volunteers work full or parttime and find the CASA experience flexible enough to accommodate their schedules, spending on average 8-10 hours per month advocating on behalf of the child or children during the life of a case. CASA volunteers do go to court a few times per year, and occasionally attend meetings that take place during the workday; however, the majority of these meetings are set with plenty of advance notice and can be attended virtually. Many CASA volunteer duties – such as attending visits with the child, reading reports and records, and sending e-mails or placing calls to others involved in the case – can be done outside of regular work hours. 

 

Safety of our Advocates

The safety of CASA volunteer advocates is one of our top priorities. We never expect or encourage our volunteer advocates to participate in an activity that causes them to feel unsafe.

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Emotional Investment

CASA volunteers are assigned to a case after the child is placed in foster care and the alleged abuse or neglect has occurred.  The CASA’s focus is on determining the child’s current needs and future best interests while they remain in care. There is no doubt that working a case can be difficult at times; however, to ensure our volunteer advocates receive the support they need, each volunteer is paired with a CASA staff member trained to supervisor the volunteers and work closely along side them providing guidance and ongoing training throughout the case.

 

How does CASA differ from other advocacy organizations?

Several organizations provide assistance of some sort to child victims of abuse and neglect in Johnson County; however, CASA is the only organization that is appointed by the courts to provide advocacy services for children while they remain in foster care. CASA does not investigate the circumstances of the child’s removal from his or her home, and does not provide counseling or other therapeutic services. CASA does provides advocacy in court proceedings for the best interests of the child or children in a civil abuse or neglect case.​