CASA Volunteers needed in Orange County

Imagine the experience of children who are removed from their home, their family, their siblings, and everything they know and care about. They find themselves in a world filled with social workers, lawyers, judges, and courtrooms where life-altering decisions are made on their behalf.

Unfortunately, 246 children in Orange County did not have a CASA to speak for them.

Fortunately, with your help, children in Hardin County can have court-appointed, trained, and committed volunteer advocates who ensure that each child’s individual needs remain a priority in an overburdened child welfare system. In Hardin County, our volunteers serve as the guardian ad litem (GAL), an official representative in a Child Protective Services (CPS) case entitled to access information about the child's situation and required to make reports to the court in the child's best interest.

When we say CASA is not your typical volunteer role, we mean it. Volunteering with CASA is next level, and it is one of the most impactful and empowering experiences you can have.

For children who have been abused or neglected, CASA means having a home instead of feeling lost, and being a priority instead of feeling invisible.

When safe to do so, it is in children’s best interest to stay connected to their families. Of 87 children’s cases closed with the help of CASA last year, 46% were reunified with their parents and 50% were adopted by or live permanently with relatives.

97% of children whose cases closed last year were in permanent homes.

A study by Texas Appleseed, "Improving the Lives of Children in Long-Term Foster Care," reports that: "If a child has a CASA, the CASA usually is the only person who truly knows the child and knows how the child is really doing."

Judges value CASA’s recommendations, which help them make informed decisions in the child’s best interest.

For volunteers, CASA is a life-changing experience that makes our community a better place.