About Us

Our Mission

CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties (CASA Jeffco/Gilpin) serves the most vulnerable children through awareness, advocacy, and support. With the dedication of hundreds of volunteers throughout Jefferson & Gilpin Counties in Colorado, we serve the 1st Judicial District, which ranks 7th in the state for child abuse and neglect cases.

Children are our future and, while they are our most valuable resource, they are also the most vulnerable. As one of nearly 1,000 CASA organizations across the country, CASA Jeffco/Gilpin is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations. While we do assist the courts, we are not a government organization. Founded in 2000, with our first volunteer trained in 2001, CASA Jeffco/Gilpin has provided volunteer advocates for more than 5,300 children who have experienced abuse and neglect.

Our mission is to recruit, train and manage volunteers who serve as independent lay advocates for children who are victims of neglect and physical and/or sexual abuse. Our hope is that all children will have a CASA volunteer as someone to pay attention, someone to give the child a voice, someone to care.

0 %

Sustained Physical Abuse

0 %

Sustained Sexual Abuse

0 %

Experienced Neglect

10 %

Were in Domestic Violence Situations

In 2023-2024, CASA Jeffco/Gilpin volunteers were appointed to 194 cases of child abuse and neglect, serving almost 300 children in the 1st Judicial District. CASA Jeffco/Gilpin is lucky to have the support of 170 active volunteers. Yet, we are only able to serve a portion of the cases that need a child advocate, leaving hundreds of children without a voice in our system.

The devastating effects of broken lives can be changed when a CASA volunteer steps up to advocate for abused and neglected children. Our dedicated, highly trained volunteers are the very cornerstone of our program at CASA Jeffco/Gilpin. They strive to ensure that children in protective custody receive the necessary services for their physical, emotional and educational well-being and safety.

"CASA Jeffco/Gilpin is an amazing organization that performs a critical community service for the most vulnerable children in the 1st Judicial district. I find the CASA Program and its volunteers to be invaluable. My wish is to assign a CASA to every case of child abuse. I have no doubt that it would greatly serve the children coming before us." - Honorable Ann Gail Meinster, 1st Judicial Court Judge

Volunteers are ordinary citizens that make an extraordinary commitment to perform a key role in breaking the cycle of child abuse, one child at a time. We are always in search of more volunteer advocates. Learn how you can stand up for the rights of abused and neglected children in our community.

CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties is an inclusive organization that values diversity, equity and accessibility for the youth we serve, our volunteers, our staff and our community stakeholders. We embrace individuals of diverse backgrounds, identities, cultures, and abilities. Our goal is to provide the highest level of advocacy while promoting a safe environment for the children we serve. We expect our staff and volunteers to engage with these guiding principles to support the varied needs of our community.

CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties is committed to inclusivity and diversity in its governance, management, and advocacy for children. In regard to persons served by the organization, persons employed by the organization, persons volunteering their services to the organization, the selection of vendors and the provisioning of services to the organization, CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties does not discriminate by reason of age, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, marital status, military status, socioeconomic status or citizenship status. Any situation suggesting a possible violation of this policy should be reported promptly to the Executive Director.

Our Story

Inspiration came to Seattle Juvenile Court Judge David W. Soukup in 1976. Judge Soukup had insufficient information to make a life-changing decision for a 3-year-old girl who had suffered from child abuse.

That’s where the idea came from: these children, who had experienced abuse or neglect, needed trained volunteers speaking up in the courtroom for their best interests. The idea quickly spread. By 1982, National CASA had formed, and in 1990 the U.S. Congress authorized its expansion by passing the Victims of Child Abuse Act so that a “court-appointed special advocate shall be made available to every victim of child abuse or neglect in the United States that needs such an advocate.”

When you become a CASA volunteer, you are joining over 97,000 other CASA volunteers all over the nation! CASA Jeffco/Gilpin is just ONE of 948 programs in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Since its inception, CASA volunteers have served over 1 MILLION children nationwide. You too can make a difference in the life of a child.