CASA of Northeast Louisiana

I’ve been a CASA Volunteer with CASA of NELA for 3 yrs now and they set you up for success giving you all the tools, training and support you need to be an advocate for the most vulnerable in our community. If you have a heart for speaking up for those that cannot speak for themselves then please consider CASA of NELA. We need you!!!

I had thought about being a CASA for years and finally decided it was time. I'm so happy I did! CASA of NELA provided very good training, and my supervisor has been with me every step of the way. As a CASA volunteer, you are assigned a case where a child or children have been removed from the home and placed in foster care. The CASA gets to know the child/children and also the parents and everyone involved. We step in as a voice for the kids and report our findings as well as our recommendations to the judge. It is a very rewarding experience, but also a difficult one. These precious children need people to advocate on their behalf to be in a safe and secure home.

As CASA volunteers, my wife and I get to ensure that children have a voice in court proceedings designed to keep them safe. Without CASA, these children are at risk of having an overworked system miss important details about the lives, wishes, and potential futures of these children. We get to personally interact with all parties involved and report our observations directly to the judge tasked with making life-changing decisions about the wellbeing of these precious children. In the meantime, we get to advocate for programs that can be utilized by the children, biological parents, and/or foster families to help add solutions to these sometimes dire situations. CASA of NELA is well run providing excellent training to its volunteers so that children receive the best possible chance of success in life.