Court Appointed Special Advocates facts for kids

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a group in the United States that helps children. These children might be going through tough times. CASA supports special volunteers who speak up for these kids in court.

CASA volunteers are regular people from the community. They get special training from local CASA offices. A judge chooses them to work on a child's case. Their job is to find out what's best for the child. They also make sure the child's own wishes are heard. Over 93,000 volunteers work across 49 states. They help more than 250,000 children every year.

How CASA Started: A Helping Hand for Kids

In 1977, a judge named David Soukup in Seattle had a big problem. He had to make important choices for children who needed help. But he only had information from state services. He wished someone could focus just on the child's needs.

Judge Soukup had a great idea. What if volunteers could help these children? They could learn about each child's situation. Then they could speak up for what was best for them. Fifty people volunteered to help. This was the start of the CASA movement. It grew to help many children across the United States. By 2007, CASA had helped 2 million children.

CASA Today: Supporting Children Across the U.S.

Since it began, CASA has grown a lot. It now has programs in 49 U.S. states. Each state's program manages its own money. Some get help from the government. Others rely on donations and community groups.

CASA volunteers are usually chosen early in a child's court case. Sometimes, a child also gets a lawyer called a "guardian ad litem" (GAL). This lawyer represents the child in court. In some cases, a child might have both a CASA volunteer and a GAL.

There are many children in foster care in the U.S. Foster care is when children live with temporary families. They stay there when their own families cannot care for them.

Recently, the main group that helps fund CASA had a challenge. The U.S. Department of Justice paused some funding for a short time. This happened after a review of how money was being used. This pause caused some changes for CASA offices. It also delayed money going to local CASA groups.

Becoming a CASA Volunteer: Training and Support

CASA volunteers are people from the community. They complete special training. This training is given by state or local CASA offices. The training includes at least 30 hours of classroom learning. Volunteers also spend time watching court cases. They continue to get more training each year.

All CASA volunteers must pass a background check. This helps make sure children are safe. Each state creates its own program rules. These rules follow national standards for training. You don't need a special college degree to be a CASA volunteer. The most important thing is completing the training.