Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) provides a powerful voice for abused and neglected children in Lane County. CASA volunteers work to prevent children from being re-abused by facilitating their move through the court and child protective services systems as quickly as possible into safe, permanent homes.
When abused and neglected children are removed from their homes, they are placed in overburdened court and child welfare systems where they can slip through the cracks and risk continued abuse or neglect. Court Appointed Special Advocates – or CASA volunteers – have the power to prevent this tragic reality.
Court Appointed Special Advocates are volunteer community members committed to keeping children safe. They are trained, supported, and sworn in by a judge to advocate in court for an abused child with an uncertain future.
A CASA volunteer:
- Serves as the eyes and ears for the judge
- Gathers information from all service providers and individuals involved in the child’s life
- Makes informed recommendations to the judge for the child’s present and future
- Works to ensure the child receives all services necessary to thrive
- Puts pressure on the system to move the child as quickly as possible into a safe, permanent home
To learn about becoming a CASA volunteer, click here.