CASA of Southern Maryland

CASA of Southern Maryland, a program of the Center for Children is one of over 900 Court Appointed Special Advocate programs nationwide that works on behalf of abused and neglected children involved in the juvenile court system. CASA of Southern Maryland serves St. Mary's, Calvert and Charles counties.

CASA Advocates are volunteers from all walks of life, with a variety of professional, educational, and ethnic backgrounds. No special experience or background is required, only the desire to help our county's children. CASA advocates have several roles and responsibilities:

• Researcher: CASAs hold comprehensive interviews with the child, family members, foster parents and professionals involved in the child's life. They review records, documents and clinical data.
• Visitor: CASAs develop an informal one-on-one relationship with the child, providing understanding, attention and emotional support.
• Facilitator: CASAs facilitate communication between the court and any individual involved with the child to ensure that all parties fulfill their obligations to the child.
• Monitor: CASAs are responsible for monitoring all court orders to ensure compliance by all parties.
• Reporter: CASAs are responsible for providing the court with objective written reports.

To effectively advocate, CASAs carefully research and review the child's situation. The CASA Order of Appointment authorizes the CASA to:

• Review court and social service documents, as well as educational, medical, and therapeutic records.
• Interview all relevant people involved in the child's life.
• Participate in team meetings, staffings, and other related activities for the child.
• Visit the home, the school, and the child's placement.
• Prepare a report stating facts gathered from interviews and documents and make recommendations regarding services and placement in the child's best interest

CASA of Southern Maryland Advocates are THE BEST! We are not only interested in helping our foster youth, we are committed!