Frequently Asked Questions

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained community volunteer who is appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of a child, as they navigate the legal and child welfare systems. They work in tandem with the child’s caseworker and attorney, and they meet with the child regularly to establish a relationship.
CASA volunteers are an additional resource for children/families navigating the legal and child welfare systems. They are a support for children in need during a difficult time.

CASA volunteers come from all walks of life! Our volunteers have a variety of professional, educational, and social backgrounds. There are no specific prerequisites for being a CASA volunteer besides being 21 years old and passing a background check.

68% of our volunteers work full-time jobs. A majority of CASA volunteers nationally and locally are women, and we often get requests for male volunteers. Currently, 17% of our volunteers are men, and we are in need of more!

Volunteering is an especially good fit for retired teachers and attorneys; future law students; foster parents who are looking for a lower-commitment involvement; future foster parents wanting to learn about the system; and anyone who wants to make a difference in a child’s life!

We try to match you with a case where your personal experience/expertise can be used. We believe our volunteers do their best when they have the opportunity to utilize their strengths.

To become a CASA volunteer, everyone is required to attend a per-service training. This is a one-time commitment of 30-35 hours over the course of a few weeks. See our upcoming training schedule on the Volunteer Page.

Once a volunteer has completed training and is sworn in with the court, they will be assigned to a case. Each case is different, some can take a few months and others can take years. We ask for an 18-month commitment, which is average duration of a case. Volunteers meet with the children on their case once a week for at least one hour. There are court hearings approximately every 2-3 months that we ask volunteers to attend. There are additional meetings/outings that vary based on the children’s needs and the volunteers schedule and connection with the child/family. Volunteers work on average 12-15 hours a month on their case including visits, driving, communications with the team, and case research.

After volunteering for one year, volunteers are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education training per year. This can include the CASA book/movie club, seminars, our CASA Connect events, etc. This ensures volunteers have up-to-date information on the legal and child welfare systems, as well as staying informed on the best ways to advocate for children who have experienced trauma.

Our initial training is held 4 times a year. We ask that volunteers attend the full training and complete a makeup session with our trainer for any missed dates. We suggest completing the pre-service training when it’s most convenient. 

Our goal is for volunteers to maintain consistency in visiting their assigned child; otherwise, there is flexibility to fit volunteering into their personal schedule! Some volunteers see their CASA child every week at the same time; other volunteers communicate to find a time that works each week.

We understand that our volunteers have their own lives outside of volunteering and that it is a large emotional and time commitment. Volunteers can still travel while on a case. When a volunteer travels or has to change their schedule, we ask that they work with their advocate supervisor to plan for these scenarios and communicate with their CASA child. They may do a longer visit before/after their trip or have the option to do a phone call/virtual visit. 

CASA volunteers work primarily on dependency & neglect (D&N) cases. These are civil cases initiated by the Department of Human Services where abuse or neglect has been founded by the child’s parent or caregiver. These usually fall under one of four categories: neglect, domestic violence, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. 

Some cases have additional elements like truancy, prevention, juvenile delinquency, youth in transition, and criminal charges. Volunteers learn more about these elements in training and if they would be interested in working on those types of cases.

Only a portion of children in our CASA program are placed in foster care. Children can be placed with their parents, with kinship (family or friends they know), in foster care, and in residential treatment facilities. Many children have to move placements during the duration of their case.

CASA volunteers have a dedicated advocate supervisor or peer coordinator who supports them every step of the way. Supervisors assign volunteers to cases; they review, approve, and submit reports to the court on behalf of their volunteers. They attend court with every volunteer and can attend on a volunteer’s behalf if there is a conflict. Advocate supervisors and peer coordinators are there for any questions/concerns a volunteer has on their case.

Additionally, we have volunteer get-togethers, continuing education speakers/presentations, a book club, a coffee & chat group, and CASA kids events to support every facet of volunteering.

CASA volunteers do not replace a social worker/caseworker on a case; they are an independent appointee of the court. A strength of CASA volunteers is that they have more time to devote to their individual cases. A CASA volunteer is assigned to one case at a time and meets with the child every week. Social service caseworkers have a caseload of families and visit children monthly.

Caseworkers also have required questions and processes to evaluate the child’s safety, placement, health, etc., at every visit. CASA volunteers provide additional information for the caseworker and larger team about how the child is doing on a weekly basis.

Caseworkers also meet with the parents, caregivers, siblings, and other parties to the case to make recommendations about the family unit as a whole and ensure treatment plans are being followed. CASA volunteers specifically advocate for their assigned child’s best interest and may or may not have engagement with other parties based on the needs of each case.

While our main volunteer role is the CASA volunteer position, we do have additional growth opportunities for people who want to be more involved with CASA after completing at least their first case.

Peer Coordinator: CASA volunteers can take on a supervisor role and support other volunteers, like an advocate supervisor. Peer Coordinators have the same function as an advocate supervisor, where they manage other volunteers, support paperwork and administrative functions, and attend hearings with or on behalf of their volunteers. Peer coordinators report to our peer coordinator program manager, so they and their volunteers still have full-time staff support.

Youth Alliance Coach: Coaches for YA have a multi-year commitment and support youth transitioning into adulthood. This role is not court-involved and is more closely related to mentorship. YA coaches have support from the YA program staff, but this role requires a higher level of independence and personal initiative based on the program’s structure.