Description
"CASA" is an acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocates. The CASA program was established in 1977 by a Seattle judge who conceived the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children. The program was so successful that judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. In 1990, Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA programs with passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act. Today there are 60,000 CASA volunteers serving more than 240,000 abused and neglected children through 954 local program offices.
Children served by the CASA program live in foster care placements, residential facilities or with family. These children are not living with a parent as they have been subjects of neglect or abuse; their cases are under the court’s jurisdiction. The children served by CASA are assigned residency in the Northern Kentucky region whenever possible. However, because residential assignments are based on availability of services and individual needs, children may be living anywhere throughout Kentucky.
CASAs are appointed by judges and serve as official "friends of the court". They report directly to judges, and courts have come to rely on the information these trusted advocates present. Volunteers receive 30 hours of training in a curriculum designed by the national CASA Association. After receiving an assignment from a Family Court Judge, CASAs are responsible for reviewing all records and documents related to the case. The CASA then meets and interviews the children and other individuals who are party to the case or who may have relevant information. Ultimately, the CASA files a written report to the judge providing recommendations for resolution of the issues in question. While there are many people associated with each abuse and neglect case (parents, grandparents, social workers, psychologists, doctors and attorneys representing competing interests), the volunteer CASA has the unique responsibility of advising the judge as to the resolution that is in the best interest of the child. This is always a complicated and challenging task. CASA volunteers must be professionally supervised. The role of the CASA supervisor is to assist volunteers in navigating through administrative and legal requirements; to provide advice and support in the handling of complex interpersonal relationships; and to ensure they have knowledge of and access to all resources that might benefit the children they serve.
