We operate with trained and dedicated Special Advocates. Each advocate is assigned to just one or two cases and, while all cases are different, the average time required per month is about 10 hours. A 30 hour training is given by CASA staff, tailored around your busy schedule, before an advocate is sworn in by the juvenile judge.
When an advocate is appointed to a case, he or she is responsible for obtaining information about the child and the family. Advocate research can include requesting background checks, conducting home visits, and interviewing the child, parents, relatives, neighbors, school officials, social workers, and others.
This information is used to develop a written report for the judge with conclusions and specific recommendations. Our advocates serve as a powerful voice in court for what is best for a child’s future.
What does having a CASA volunteer mean to an abused or neglected child?
Imagine what it would be like to be a young child and to be taken away from your parents, not because of something you did, but because they can’t or won’t take care of you.
Now, into your life come many strangers: police officers, social workers, foster parents, lawyers, doctors, judges, and more. You have neither control over nor knowledge about your future.
Having a CASA volunteer means you have a trained and committed adult by your side who has been appointed by a judge to advocate for your best interests. Your special advocate will visit with you on a regular basis and will make sure you don’t get lost in the overburdened social service and legal system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home.
Your CASA volunteer will research your case, will represent your best interests in court, and will fight for you to be placed in a safe and permanent home as quickly as possible. Their focus will be on caring about your future.
There are abused and neglected children today in Campbell County who have been removed from their homes and are in need of a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Presently, we have too many children in Campbell County without a CASA volunteer. Our goal is to serve every child. You can make a difference in Campbell County today!
