Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a national association in the United States that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children in order to provide children with a safe and healthy environment in permanent homes.[1] In many jurisdictions, CASA are known as Guardians ad litem.[2] In other jurisdictions, the CASA is a volunteer. In both cases, CASA's role is to gather information and make recommendations to the judge in the best interest of the child.[3] According to National CASA Association, there are more than 85,000 advocates serving in nearly 1,000 state and local program offices in the United States. Each year more than a quarter of a million children are assisted through CASA services.[4] Contents 1 History 2 Current situation 3 Strategic objectives 4 Training 5 See also 6 References 7 External links History[edit] In 1977, Seattle Superior Court Judge David Soukup was faced with making decisions on behalf of abused and neglected children with only the information provided by the state Child Protective Services. Soukup formulated the idea that volunteers could be dedicated to a case and speak for children's best interests.[5] Fifty volunteers responded to his idea, which started a movement that provides better representation[6] for abused and neglected children throughout the United States.[7]