Advocate for an Abused or Neglected Child

YOU CAN BE A POWERFUL VOICE IN A CHILD'S LIFE!

The goal of CASA is to protect and ensure a child's right to a safe, permanent home. These children have come into the child welfare system because they were found to be victims of abuse, neglect, and/or abandonment. Their caretakers have been unable to keep them safe, so the Division of Child and Family Services is involved and they have entered the legal system.

A CASA volunteer is a sworn officer of the court whose job is to provide the child's attorney and the juvenile court judge an independent assessment of the circumstances of the child. The CASA's report is drawn from their visits with the child and with the key parties in the child's life. A CASA can also speak with the child's teacher to follow up with their educational needs. If possible, the advocate attends all court hearings pertaining to the child with the Guardian ad Litem. The hearing dates are usually set in advance and approximately three months apart.

A CASA volunteer has many roles:

• to support the child throughout the court proceedings
• to establish a relationship with the child to better understand his or her particular needs and desires
• to communicate the child's needs and explore potential resources
• to provide continuous attention to the child's situation to ensure that the court's plans for the child are being implemented

In addition to these responsibilities, the CASA speaks with his/her child bi-weekly, either in person or by telephone. This one-on-one contact promotes a trusting relationship for the child, who often has no other consistent relationship during the period of involvement with the courts.