CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. We are an organization of volunteers who serve as voices for abused and neglected children in the family court system. The courts appoint CASA volunteers to gather information and make recommendations to help judges decide what is best for each child.
CASA is a national volunteer movement that began more than 30 years ago, when Judge David Soukup in Seattle decided he needed to know more about the children who lives were in his hands. His solution was to ask community volunteers to act as a "voice in court" for abused and neglected children. These Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) provided him with the detailed information he needed to safeguard the children's best interests and ensure that they were placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. Today, the CASA movement has evolved into one of the largest volunteer organizations in the country.
CASA volunteers are everyday citizens who are at least 21 years old, complete a pre-screening process (application, references, background checks), complete a 35-hour training curriculum, and are willing to commit to 18 months on a case to provide the child (ren) consistency. Volunteers also have option of "teaming up" with a partner, friend or loved one. CASA volunteers find out what is happening in the life of a child and report back to the judge what they believe the child's needs are and where the child should live permanently. CASA volunteers search for information by reviewing records, interviewing parents and other family members, talking to teachers, doctors, foster parents, and everyone else who may have information about the educational, medical, emotional needs and the best, most appropriate, permanent placement for a child in foster care. The time commitment is not huge, 15-20 hours a month.
Make a difference in the life of a child. And your own! Become a CASA volunteer and give a voice to the abused and neglected children in El Paso's foster care system.
