Who We Are
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate)/GAL (guardian ad litem) volunteers advocate for children who have open child abuse/neglect/or dependency cases pending in Juvenile Court. Volunteers come from all walks of life. Some have professional experience working with children and famllies as educators or nurses, others are adults that grew up in the foster care system, others are stay-at-home parents or working professionals in search of a way to give back. Being a CASA/GAL volunteer does not require any special education or background, simply the desire to help abused and neglected children find safe, permanent homes.
What We Do
Every CASA/GAL volunteer must pass a background check and participate in a 30+ hour pre-service training course. After training is complete, the volunteer is sworn in and appointed to a case. They are asked to commit to this case until it closes. The average time commitment to a case is 10 hours per month and the average case lasts 18 months. The CASA/GAL volunteer also attends 12 hours of ongoing training each year. CASA/GAL volunteers are supervised and mentored by staff at Juvenile Court.
The four primary responsibilities of CASA/GAL volunteers are to:
•RESEARCH: Throughout the life of the case the CASA/GAL volunteer gathers information regarding the child’s circumstances including history, environment, relationships, and needs and objectively determines the relevant facts. This information is gathered through interviewing the child, the child’s family and those who know the child, such as school personnel and mental health providers. The CASA/GAL volunteer also reviews school, children services, health and other appropriate records. This information is the basis for a report to the court which includes recommendations to assist the court in its determination of what is in the child’s best interest.
•FACILITATE: The CASA/GAL volunteer participates in establishing a collaborative relationship with others involved with the child’s case, such as children services, service providers, foster parents and the child’s attorney, in order to identify resources and services to help create a situation in which the child’s needs can be met.
•ADVOCATE: The CASA/GAL volunteer promotes the best interest of the child in the court and child welfare system, aiming to achieve a safe and permanent home for the child in a timely manner.
•MONITOR: The CASA/GAL volunteer actively keeps informed of the child’s circumstances making sure services ordered by the court are provided and the court is informed of new developments. Additionally, the plans of social services agencies are monitored and the volunteer works with these agencies when needed.
