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.
2023 TRAINING DATES: – In person in February, June and October – click here for exact dates.
INDEPENDENT LEARNING – This is a 5- week course during which the volunteer will study independently and will meet with an instructor and other volunteers once a week at a mutually agreed upon time for further learning and discussion.
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
Ready to Apply? Start here
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