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Be the voice for a foster child: be a CASA Volunteer
ORGANIZATION: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Ventura County
Please visit the new page to apply.
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DONATE TO THIS
ORGANIZATION -
186 people are interested
A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is a trained community member who becomes a sworn officer of the court to advocate for the best interests of a local foster child. The CASA volunteer spends 10-15 hours per month working on their case, including building a one-on-one relationship with the child as well as communicating with others who can offer insight into the well-being of the child. The purpose is to provide the court with carefully gathered information about how the child is doing, as well as make recommendations, while they are part of the dependency court system. This information helps the court make a sound decision about the child’s future.
There are about 750 children in Ventura County's foster care system who are there because their parents failed to provide for their basic needs; shelter, food, and safety. In the child’s eyes, the CASA volunteer is the person who can be counted on to respond to those most basic needs for reassurance, guidance, comfort, representation and advocacy in times of extreme uncertainty.
Our CASA volunteers come from all walks of life. No prior knowledge of the foster care system or legal experience is required.
More opportunities with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Ventura County
No additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
About Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Ventura County
Location:
PO BOX 1135, CAMARILLO, CA 93011, US
Mission Statement
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Ventura County believes that every court-dependent abused or neglected child should be safe, have permanence and the opportunity to thrive, and have a strong, compassionate volunteer Advocate.
Description
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Ventura County recruits, screens, trains, and supports citizen-volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected foster children in courtrooms and communities.
The CASA volunteer then spends 10-15 hours per month working on their assigned case, which not only includes building a one-on-one relationship with a child, but also communicating with the child’s social worker and others who can offer insight into the well-being of the child, which may include relatives, parents, caregiver, school officials, health providers and others. CASA volunteers record their case-related activities and submit a Monthly Contact Log to their case supervisor. Prior to each court hearing, the volunteer prepares a court report which includes observations, evaluations, and informed recommendations for the child. The judge and all case professionals read and consider the CASA report in addition to the social worker's in making their decision(s).
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
Ventura CountyCamarillo, CA 93012
DATE POSTED
April 15, 2024
SKILLS
GOOD FOR
N/A
REQUIREMENTS
- Driver's License Needed
- Background Check
- Must be at least 21
- Orientation or Training
- A CASA volunteer spends 10-15 hours each month working on their case. They also agree to serve a court dependent child for a minimum of 12-18 months, however, our expectation is that a volunteer stays with a case to the end of the dependency.