CASA



**[|CASA], Court Appointed Special Advocates, is a national volunteer organization whose mission it is to advocate for abused and neglected children to make sure they thrive in permanent, safe homes. All too often, abused and neglected children become lost in the legal and social systems, with many individuals, including lawyers, social workers, judges, police officers, foster parents, therapists and more, that come in and out of their lives. The CASA volunteer is assigned to a child and works with that child until that case is closed and/or a permanent home is found. For many children the CASA volunteer is the one steady presence in the child's life; they get to know the child, care for them and speak on behalf of the child in court.
 * What is [|CASA] ?


 * What Does a CASA Volunteer Do? **
 * 1) Conduct an initial investigation of the child's environment and situation. They review all relevant documents interview key individuals in the child's life such as parents, foster parents, teachers, attorneys, social workers, therapists, day care workers, etc
 * 2)  Get to know the child, their thoughts, wants and needs
 * 3) Act as a facilitator among conflicting parties
 * 4) Provide written reports and recommendations at all hearings
 * 5) Appear at all hearings and provide testimony if necessary
 * 6) Explain court proceedings to child in a way they can understand
 * 7) Make recommendations for services for the child and family
 * 8) Make sure court orders and plans are carried out and that services are implemented
 * 9) Keep the court informed of important developments
 * 10) Advocate for the child in the community to make sure their needs are met with regard to their health, education, mental health, etc.

A CASA is usually appointed by a Judge to the most extreme cases usually involving physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect. Also taken into consideration are the instability of current placement, presence of conflicting information and need for special services.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">How are Volunteers Assigned?

**<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">**Who are CASA Volunteers? CASA volunteers or community members who are committed to making a difference in the lives of children. Anyone can become a CASA volunteer by contacting their local CASA office and passing a background check prior to entering the program. They must then complete thirty hours of pre-service training and 12 hours of yearly in-service training. Volunteers are trained in the legal system, child advocacy techniques and educated in specific topics such as sexual abuse, adolescent behavior and child development. Upon successful completion of training, CASA volunteers are sworn in as Officers of the Court. ** media type="youtube" key="S2MSqL_bypA" height="344" width="425"

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;"> **[|CASA] Making a Difference In 2006 the U.S. Department of Justice conducted an audit of the National [|CASA] Program. The purpose of this report was to examine the activities funded by [|CASA] and to assess the program's success when comparing cases involving a CASA volunteer and non-CASA cases. The report found the following: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">CASA children are less likely to spend time in long-term foster care (3 years or more);
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">CASA children and parents receive more Court ordered services; and
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">CASA children are less likely to re-enter Child Welfare System once a case is closed.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;"> To access the full report: [|U.S. Department of Justice, 2006 Audit of CASA] <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;"> **Local Branch** [|CASA of Atlantic & Cape May Counties] 321 Shore Road Somers Point, New Jersey 08244 609 601-7800

[|Find a local branch!]

[|www.nationalcasa.org]
 * Sources:**