Volunteering with CASA

More than 900 CASA volunteers are currently helping over 2300 Missouri kids; this is the story of just one of the volunteers:

Elaine Flaherty has been a volunteer advocate since September 2001. In the past 4 years, Elaine has worked on five cases involving nine individual children. In addition to getting to know each child well, she has developed close relationships with parents, caseworkers, therapists and teachers.

For example, when it seemed a mother was about to lose her child forever, Elaine rolled up her sleeves and figured out what it would take to turn things around.

“After getting to know the mother and the child, I was able to see that there was a true love and connection between them. The mother had been abused and out of her own home since she was 8 years old. She hadn’t had anyone to be a role model for her. My frustration came from agencies that had already made up their mind to terminate parental rights.” To help the family to stay together, the mother spent countless hours learning basic parenting skills. With Elaine’s support and encouragement, the mother obtained a job and secured housing and medical care for her child’s chronic illness.

“It’s amazing how often people say. ‘I could never do what you do.’ What I try to explain is that CASA advocates are there to think about what’s going to be best for a child who’s had a hard time. The learning of what to do becomes manageable if you care what happens to the child.”

What Does A CASA Volunteer Do?

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is a trained citizen who is appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in court.  There is no typical CASA volunteer; they come from all walks of life, with a variety of educational and ethnic backgrounds.  Aside from their CASA volunteer responsibility, approximately 50% are employed in full-time jobs.  The average caseload for a CASA volunteer is one to two at a time, but a case includes all the siblings involved. While there is no typical case, a CASA volunteer usually spends about 10 hours doing research and conducting interviews prior to the first court appearance, though more complicated cases can take longer.  After the initial court appearance, volunteers usually spend an additional 10-15 hours a month per case until the case is completed. 

CASA volunteers make a difference in the lives of the children that they speak for.  Research suggests that children who have been assigned CASA volunteers tend to spend less time in court and less time within the foster care system than those who do not have CASA representation.  Judges have observed that CASA children also have better chances of finding permanent homes than non-CASA children.  A CASA volunteer provides a judge with a carefully researched background of the child to help the court make a sound decision about that child’s future.  The CASA volunteer must determine if it is in a child’s best interest to stay with his or her parents or guardians, be placed in foster care, be placed with other relatives, or be freed for permanent adoption.  To prepare the report, the CASA volunteer talks with the child, parents, family members, social workers, school officials, health providers and others who are knowledgeable about the child’s history.  The CASA volunteer also reviews all records pertaining to the child, including school, medical and case worker reports.

Training

No special experience is required to become a CASA volunteer, only a commitment to Missouri's children.  When a volunteer is accepted, they are given training in the skills and knowledge necessary to help the children they represent.  Training is provided by your local program and will cover many topics, including the role of the CASA volunteer, the court system, the child protection system, and understanding families and children.  This training takes about 30 hours and includes class time, observation of court proceedings, independent study, and homework.  Additionally, there are 12 hours of continuing education required per year.

If you are interested in Standing Up For A Child in your area, please contact your local program.