VOLUNTEER DUTIES

Advocate for children who are in the Dependency and Neglect court system.

Always work in the child’s best interests, give children a voice during court cases, and aim to find them a safe, permanent home.

Weekly visits with the children involved in the case and their birth parents/guardians/foster parents.

Attend meetings and/or check in via phone or in-person meetings with other professionals involved in the child’s case, including therapists, caseworkers, and teachers.

Write and submit a court report for each hearing that contains details about the child’s situation, including recommendations for securing a permanent, safe home for the child.

VOLUNTEER DUTIES

Advocate for children who are in the Dependency and Neglect court system.

Always work in the child’s best interests, give children a voice during court cases, and aim to find them a safe, permanent home.

Weekly visits with the children involved in the case and their birth parents/guardians/foster parents.

Attend meetings and/or check in via phone or in-person meetings with other professionals involved in the child’s case, including therapists, caseworkers, and teachers.

Write and submit a court report for each hearing that contains details about the child’s situation, including recommendations for securing a permanent, safe home for the child.

VOLUNTEER TRAINING

CASA volunteers are trained using the National CASA Association curriculum, an in-depth 39 hour training which includes some homework and is carried out over 4-6 weeks. Upon completion, all volunteers are sworn in by the judge and then are ready to be assigned to a case.

 

VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS

Anyone in the community can be a CASA—you can be employed, retired, have experience working with youth, have no experience in this field, have a college degree, or have no higher education.  A desire to help children is all that we expect!

  • 21 years of age or older
  • Volunteers must provide at least three references
  • Child abuse and general criminal background checks
  • 39 hours of initial training, including court observation hours, provided by the CASA Program
  • 12 hours of additional training annually with the option to participate in monthly in-service trainings, located at Life Stories
  • Experience working with children and knowledge of the court system and/or foster care system is helpful but not mandatory
  • Good written and verbal skills
  • Maintain strict confidentiality, objectivity, and professionalism when dealing with children, parents, and all other parties involved in the case
  • $25 non-refundable application fee
  • A CASA Supervisor will support and guide you through your assigned case every step of the way

VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT

  • 18 months (this is the typical lifespan of a case)
  • 10-15 hours per month, including weekly visits with the child
  • We expect CASAs to be a consistent figure in the children’s lives and to work with them until the case is resolved
  • Most of our CASA volunteers are assigned one case at a time, giving them the time needed to see the case through to its completion

VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT

  • 18 months (this is the typical lifespan of a case)
  • 10-15 hours per month, including weekly visits with the child
  • We expect CASAs to be a consistent figure in the children’s lives and to work with them until the case is resolved
  • Most of our CASA volunteers are assigned one case at a time, giving them the time needed to see the case through to its completion

GET MORE INFORMATION

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