Give the Gift of Advocacy to an Abused or Neglected Child

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To children, a day is a week, a week is a month and a month is a year. When a child has been removed from their home due to abuse or neglect, time in care seems like an eternity. Currently in Indiana, there are over 6,000 abused and neglected children waiting for a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer to speak up for them in court. CASA volunteers are screened, trained and monitoried by local CASA programs in 81 of Indiana's 92 counties. As a CASA volunteer, you become a full party to the court case involving the child and become the voice of the child in court.

Currently, over 4,000 CASA volunteers in Indiana are serving over 27,000 children as they weave their way through the court system. Volunteers work to help the child and family achieve permanency as quickly as possible so that they can put the past behiind them and move ahead toward success. While case managers, foster placements and others involved in a child's life during the court process may change, the CASA volunteer is the one constant that the child can count on. The CASA volunteer listens to the needs of the child, meets one-on-one withthe child, parents, case managers, foster parents and others involved in the case and then reports their findings and makes recommendations to the court. Statistics have shown the foster children with a CASA volunteer spend less time on average in the court system, succeed better in school and are less likely to re-enter the system after case closure.

The CASA volunteer program is a nation-wide network, with over 900 local offices around the country. Our goal in Indiana, as well as across the country is to have a voice in court for each and every child in foster care. Time is of the essence, and these kids can't wait...do you have time to help?