Become an advocate for an abused or neglected child in foster care

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Objective:
Are you looking to make a difference in the life of abused or abandoned children in your community? Are you ready to become an advocate for a child in need? There are over 500 youth in foster care in Prince George’s County at any given time. Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is looking for compassionate and motivated individuals ready to fulfill their potential to serve the community by being trained on becoming an advocate for the youth. Our goal is for every youth in foster care to have a Court Appointed Special Advocate on their team. If you want to join the CASA community and advocate for youth in foster care, we are looking for you!

Qualifications and Requirements:
● Must be at least 21 years of age or older
● Ability to pass background screening Criminal Background Check; Driving Record Check; Child Abuse Registry Check; Social Security Number verification; National Sex Offender Registry; Reference Checks (3)
● Ability to attend 37-hour pre-service training
● One year or one case commitment to the program
● Ability to commit 10-15 hours per month to case, including visiting the child at least twice per month and regular meetings with Case Supervisor
● Acceptance of a case assignment after completion of preservice training.

Time Commitment:
● Pre-service training:
- 37 hours in classroom
- 1 day of courtroom observation

• In-service training:
  - Flexible Schedule
  - 10 to 15 hrs/ month
  - 2 visits/ month with youth
  - Case Supervision 1x/every 6 weeks
  - Court Hearings 2x/year dependent on case
  - 12 hrs of continuing education/1 year

Application and Training:
● To apply, please visit http://pgcasa.org/volunteer-application/
● To be considering for the next training session, you must apply, attend an in-person interview, and be accepted into training.
● Training is held the Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons.
● Email volunteer@pgcasa.org for more information or check out www.pgcasa.org!

How to apply: http://pgcasa.org/volunteer-application/

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
CASA volunteers ensure that the court and child welfare systems remain focused on the specific needs of individual youth, so that these needs, including the need for safety and permanency, are addressed expeditiously.

CASA volunteers serve as investigators, mentors, recorders, and ultimately advocates.

CASA volunteers visit their youth at least 2 times per month, and their case supervisors once every 6 to 8 weeks.

Benefits:
This is a unique chance to become invested in your community by spending time with a youth in foster care and advocating for his or her best interests in court. You will be offered 4 weeks of training to become an advocate. You could help create and ensure better outcomes for a youth in need by being a part of his or her team. For more information, please visit our website at www.pgcasa.org or call 301-209-0491.

Contact:

volunteer@pgcasa.org
Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/ Prince George’s County, Inc
6811 Kenilworth Ave, Suite 402
Riverdale MD, 20737
301-209-0491