How to become a CASA volunteer

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers are ordinary citizens, like you, that care about children. CASA volunteers advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the court system. CASA volunteers are assigned to one child abuse and neglect case at a time, and advocate for the child's needs until the case is closed. The CASA volunteers main functions are to:
1. Advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children
2. Investigate and find facts regarding the case to report to the court
3. Be a watch dog for the court and report progresses made
The CASA also makes recommendations to the court regarding the child and family. One of the special functions of a CASA is their unique relationship with the family, specifically the child. Through the relationship the CASA develops with the child, the CASA is able to inform the child of the child's wishes. Child abuse is a terrible pandemic across the globe and must be stopped. Everyone must do their part. CASA volunteers work with physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and combinations of those. You can use google to find other child abuse organizations you might be interested in volunteering with.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a desire to help abused and neglected children
• on average, 10 hours a month
• a willingness to submit to background checks
• to go through CASA pre-service training

1. Visit www.nationalcasa.org and see how you can impact the life of a child.

2. Click on the volunteer tab, click on Volunteer Now tab (blue tab near the top of the page), enter your zip code, and your local program will send you information.

3. Once you recieve the application packet and information, fill out the application completely and send it back to the CASA office. As soon as CASA staff has your application back, they will contact you.

4. You will be asked to submit to background checks. These are necessary anytime you're working with kids.

5. Procedures vary by program, but you may be asked to complete a personal interview, give references, etc.

6. Training will be scheduled, in many places, around the volunteer's schedule. Training is 30 hours of pre-service trainging and a few hours of court observation.
   Your local CASA staff can answer any questions about the screening and training procedures of your local program.