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A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained community volunteer who is appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interests of an abused or neglected child in juvenile court proceedings. The CASA volunteer gathers information about the child's situation, attends court proceedings and makes recommendations to the judge so that he or she has the information needed to make a decision about the child's best interest and future. The CASA volunteer advocates for the child to be placed in a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible.
CASA volunteers must be at least 21 years of age, have a sincere concern for the well-being of children, have good oral and written skills, and have the ability to remain professional and objective. CASA volunteers may not have a criminal background or have a conflicting occupation (current foster parent, Guardian Ad Litem, DFCS case manager, etc.).
To read a profile of a CASA volunteer, visit the Volunteer Profile page. To view a video about the Metro Atlanta CASA Collaborative on The CW's Focus Atlanta show and/or to view Everyday Heroes, a 7-minute informational video about CASA, click here to go to the Press Kit page (in the Videos section) of the Georgia CASA website.
If this sounds like you and you would like to personally ensure that another child does not fall through the cracks of an overburdened system, then we encourage you to take the next steps toward becoming a CASA Volunteer. |
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Saturday, September 04, 2010
