A CASA volunteer is appointed to a child or sibling group by a court order of the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court.

This court order states that the CASA volunteer:

• Shall investigate circumstances surrounding the case.

• Shall, upon presentation of this court order, have access to available records and files of the Court and Children and Family Services agency, as well as school and medical records and those of any agency relating to the child.

• Shall submit a timely written report to the court as to the results of this investigation.

• Shall have access to spending time alone with the child.

• Shall not disclose any information received in connection with his/her investigation of the case unless specifically authorized by the Court.

• Shall be given notice of and be authorized to attend all court hearings and other proceedings regarding the child.

• Shall have access to all reports from the Social Worker prior to court hearings.

• Shall follow the directions and orders of the court and provide information specifically requested by the Court and/or Case Management Director.

The goal of Court Appointed Special Advocates is to prevent abused and neglected children from becoming lost in the Juvenile Dependency system. When matching a CASA Volunteer with a child, the objective is to ensure that the child’s best interest is represented. The volunteer has four essential roles as an advocate:

1. To be the child’s voice in court, representing his/her best interests.

2. To assist the Juvenile Court by researching and assessing the circumstances of each

    case and report their recommendations and findings.

3. To continue to monitor the progress of the case as it moves through the system.

4. To become a source of support for the child.

The CASA volunteer's ultimate goal is to move the child out of temporary placement into a safe and permanent home. This could mean return to the parents, adoption, the appointment of a legal guardian, or some other permanent living arrangement that satisfies the Court and fulfills the child’s needs.

CASA volunteers are not attorneys, but rather they are citizen advocates. They are ordinary people from various walks of life who do extra-ordinary things in the lives of abused and neglected children in our community.