Thousands of Court-Appointed Volunteers Advocate for Children in Court

Through no fault of their own, thousands of children every year must be moved from their homes for their own safety by social workers or law enforcement. They lose everything they've ever known all at once-family, friends, teachers, pets and belongings-without understanding why or what will happen next.

CASA Volunteers Provide a Lifeline to Children in Foster Care
To help support children during this trying time of transition, judicial officers can appoint them a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), a trained volunteer that advocates for children in juvenile court. CASA volunteers spend time with the child, monitor their needs, and provide child-focused recommendations on services and education based on the best interests of the child.

"CASAs are the "eyes and ears" of the judge for children in foster care," said Nevada County Judge B. Scott Thomsen at the July 12 Judicial Council business meeting.

"CASA volunteers, with their one-on-one advocacy, provide invaluable support during these tumultuous times," added Sharon M. Lawrence, chief executive officer for the California CASA Association. "They offer the children stability, consistency, and the hope they so desperately need."

Unlike other mentoring programs, CASAs serve as an officer of the court, trained on topics such as the impact of trauma on children, cultural competency, and dependency laws. They get to know their assigned children and families, interviewing teachers, attorneys, social workers, service care providers, doctors, therapists, and anyone else who knows the child.

"Beyond their service as court officers advocating to judges, CASAs are consistent presences," Lawrence continued. "They show up for their children, taking them to the park, visiting them when they have moved to a new home, attending school performances, celebrating birthdays by bringing cupcakes to the children in their class, and connecting the children with their siblings."

Watch CASA presentation at July 12 Judicial Council business meeting

State Invests in CASAs
At its July 12 business meeting, the Judicial Council approved allocations to fund 45 CASA programsthat serve 52 California counties. The state provided $2.713 million in grant funds for fiscal year 2024-25. And previously, under the State Budget Act of 2022, Governor Newsom and the Legislature made an historic investment in CASA of $60 million, broken out into $20 million per year over 3 years.

CASA Network Has Room to Grow
More than 7,000 CASA volunteers serve approximately 11,000 children, donating 400,000 hours per year to help children, judges, and other professionals in the state's juvenile courts. Despite this enormous impact, more CASAs are needed for the roughly 70,000 children in foster care.

"California CASA exists solely to support the work being done by our local programs," added Lawrence. "We hope to provide more of the resources necessary so that every child who needs a CASA volunteer will have one by the year 2032."

Judicial Council's Role in CASA Program
The Judicial Council's Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee and council staff help provide oversight and distribute funding to the CASA program. The council also provides training for CASA programs and local courts, as well as technical assistance related to grant funding, compliance, and data collection and evaluation.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.