Be the voice for a foster child: be a CASA Volunteer

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is a trained community member who becomes a sworn officer of the court to advocate for the best interests of a local foster child. The CASA volunteer spends 10-15 hours per month working on their case, including building a one-on-one relationship with the child as well as communicating with others who can offer insight into the well-being of the child. The purpose is to provide the court with carefully gathered information about how the child is doing, as well as make recommendations, while they are part of the dependency court system. This information helps the court make a sound decision about the child’s future.

There are about 750 children in Ventura County's foster care system who are there because their parents failed to provide for their basic needs; shelter, food, and safety. In the child’s eyes, the CASA volunteer is the person who can be counted on to respond to those most basic needs for reassurance, guidance, comfort, representation and advocacy in times of extreme uncertainty.

Our CASA volunteers come from all walks of life. No prior knowledge of the foster care system or legal experience is required.