CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASA volunteers are everyday citizens appointed by a judge to speak up for abused and neglected children in court. CASA volunteers serve as fact-finders for the judge by researching the background and circumstances of a child's case. To access the information needed for the volunteer to advocate effectively, he or she must build a relationship with the child and speak with a variety of people involved in the child's life and participate on the court team. This generally takes 15-20 hours of time a month.

The CASA volunteer will then make a recommendation to the court, which represents the best interests of the child. Volunteers are closely screened and highly trained with 30 hours of pre-service training and 12 hours of on-going training annually. CASA volunteers are also given background checks and interviewed to ensure the highest level of professionalism. On average, a child who has been appointed a CASA volunteer spends less time in foster care and has a greater chance at finding a safe and permanent home.

Skill Desired: Writing, Education/Training, Marketing, Public Speaking/Meeting Facilitation, Web Site/Application Development

Matching Interests: Relevant Experience Appreciated, Geared for 50+ volunteers, Indoors, Children & Youth, Community, People with Disabilities, Education & Literacy, Homeless & Housing, Legal Work, Poverty, Women's Issues