CASA Story

Each year, approximately 780,000 children in the United States are caught up in the court and child welfare maze because they are unable to live safely at home. Image what it would be like to lose your parents, not because of something you did, but because they can't--or won't--take care of you. Now, into these children's lives come dozens of strangers: police, foster parents, therapists, social workers, judges, lawyers, and more. Hopefully, one of these strangers is a CASA volunteer.

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don't get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in an appropriate group or foster home. They stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence--the one adult who cares only for them.

More than 93,000 CASA volunteers served more than 271,000 abused and neglected children through 950 program offices. CASA volunteers have helped more than two million abused children since the first program was established in 1977.