Court Appointed Special Advocate

What is the CASA Program?

• CASA is a nonprofit organization that recruits, trains and supervises volunteers to speak up for the best interests of a child who is in the custody of the court due to child abuse or neglect.
• The goal of CASA is to help a child obtain a safe, permanent home as soon as possible.
• CASAs are appointed by the judge to represent the best interests of an abused or neglected child in Berks County
• CASA has been a program under the United Way of Berks County and recently moved to the Children's Alliance Center at the Opportunity House.

Mission Statement

The mission of the CASA program is to provide efficient, thorough, quality advocacy to children who enter the court system as a result of abuse or neglect. The program strives to help children move through the system more quickly to reach safe, permanent placement. The CASA progam will strive to mirror the ethnic background of children in foster care through the content of its training, the recruitment of staff and volunteers, program policies, and the decisions regarding individual children.

What Does A CASA Do?

As child advocates, CASA volunteers have three main responsibilities:

1. To serve as a fact finder for the judge by thoroughly researching the background of their assigned case. This research may include: reviewing documents; interviewing the child, family, and other professionals involved in the child's life.

2. To speak for the child in the courtroom, focusing on the child's best interest. Is it best for the child to return home to the parent, to remain in foster care or be freed for adoption? The CASA volunteer makes an objective recommendation to the judge and follows through on the case until it is permanently resolved.

• To prepare a recommendation, the CASA volunteer talks with the child, parents and family members, social workers, officials, healthcare providers and others who are knowledgable about the child's history. The CASA volunteer also reviews all records pertaining to the child - school, medical, caseworker documents and other

3. To act as an advocate for the child during the life of the case ensuring the child becomes a member of a safe, permanent home.

How Does A CASA Differ From A Social Worker?

State and county governments employee social workers who sometimes have an average of 30 cases and are frequently unable to conduct a comprehensive investigation of each. The CASA volunteer has one case (experienced CASAs may request two). The CASA does not replace the social worker; the CASA is an independent appointee of the court. Their recommendation is independent of agency restrictions.

How Are CASA Volunteers Trained?

• CASA volunteers undergo an initial 35 hour training which includes learning how to carefully research a child's background and prepare an objective for the court based on their findings.
• CASA volunteers also become familiar with courtroom procedure, the social service system and the special needs of abused and neglected children.
• Substantial in-service training is also provided on such subjects as child development, sexual abuse, substance abuse, negotiating skills, changes in legal and welfare systems and educational issues.

How Much Time Does It Require?

Initial training takes 35 hours with an additional 12 hours per year of in-service training. Once assigned to a case, a volunteer usually spends about 10 hours doing research and conducting interviews. Once initatied into the system, volunteers work approximately 10-15 hours/month (each case is different). The volunteer continues with the child until the case ios permanently resolved. One of the primary benefits of the CASA program is that, unlike other court principals who often rotate cases, the CASA volunteer is a consistent figure on proceedings and provides continuity for the child. Volunteers are asked to commit to one year of service.

How Can A Person Become A CASA Volunteer?

If You - or someone you know is interested in CASA, please contact

April Reed-Schmehl, CASA Director
Children's Alliance Center
Opportunity House
(610)374-4696 x286
Areed-schmehl@opphouse.org

History of CASA

In 1976, Seattle Judge Davis Soukup saw a recurring problem in his courtroom:

"In criminal and civil cases, even though there were always many different points of view, you walked out of the courtroom at the end of the day and you said to yourself, I've done my best; I can live with this decision." He explains.

"But when you're involved with a child and you're trying to decide what to do to facilitate that child's growth into a mature and happy adult, you don't feel like you have sufficient information to allow you to make the right decision. You can't walk away and leave them at the courthouse at 4pm. You wonder, 'Do I really know everything I should? Have I really been told all the different things? Is this really right?"

To ensure he was getting all the facts and the long term welfare of each child was being represented, the Seattle judge came up with an idea that would change America's judicial procedure and the lives of thousands of children. He obtained funding to recruit and train community volunteers to step into courtrooms on behalf of children: the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) was born.

This unique concept was implemented in Seattle as a pilot program in January 1977. It wasn't long before the Seattle CASA program was being replicated across the country. By 1982, it was clear that a national association was needed to direct CASA's emerging national presence and the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association was formed.

National CASA Association is funded by a grant from the national Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges under the direction of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justic and Delinquency Prevention; funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; funding from the U.S. Department of Justice and Delinquency Prevention; funding from the U.S. Department of health and Human Services and grants from the Edna McConnell Cark Foundation. National CASA has also received support from the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation. This international women's fraternity selected CASA as its philanthropy and has provided funds for a variety of projects.

On April 22, 1985, President Ronald Reagan presented National CASA Association with the President's Volunteer Action Award for "outstanding volunteer contribution, demonstrating accomplishment through voluntary action."

In August 1989, the American Bar Association, officially endorsed the use of CASA volunteers to work with attorneys to speak for abused and neglected children in court.

In July 1990, the national Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges named CASA the "Outstanding Volunteer Program" in America's juvenile and family courts. Also in 1990, the U.S. Congress authorized the expansion of CASA with the passage of the "Victims of Child Abuse Act" (P.L. 101-647) so that "CASAs shall be available to every victim of child abuse or neglect in the United States that needs such an advocate."

In July 1991, the Office of Juvenile Justic and Delinquency Prevention and the U.S. Department of Justic named CASA an "Exemplary National Program in Juvenile Justic Prevention."

In 1992, the concept was introduced to a steering committee of community leaders in Berks County by Judge Ehrlich. In 1993, the first group of CASA volunteers were trained and began advocating for children.

National CASA hosts an annual conference to bring together CASA Directors, volunteers, board members and supporters to celebrate the work done on behalf of children. In 2008, 68,000 CASA volunteers served over 240,000 abused and neglected children through 1,018 programs nationwide.