Court Appointed Special Advocates Guardian Ad Litem

About Us It was a judge’s idea Inspiration came to Seattle juvenile court judge David W. Soukup in 1976. Judge Soukup had insufficient information to make a life-changing decision for a 3-year-old girl who had suffered from child abuse. That’s where the idea came from: These children, who had experienced abuse or neglect, needed trained volunteers speaking up in the courtroom for their best interests. “It terrified me to make decisions about kids when I didn’t have anybody there.” - Judge David W. Soukup “It terrified me to make decisions about kids when I didn’t have anybody there.” – Judge David W. Soukup “When I walked into the lunchroom, there were 50 people there. And I said, ‘This is going to work.’” – Judge Soukup on the first CASA/GAL meeting, thinking six or seven people would show up The History of CASA/GAL Movement 1977: Judge Soukup starts the first CASA/GAL program in Seattle (King County), Washington. 1977: A National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges committee endorses the program as a model for safeguarding a child’s rights to a safe and permanent family. 1978: Judge John F. Mendoza of Nevada suggests the term “court-appointed special advocate” to designate the lay court-appointed volunteers. 1982: The first Annual CASA Conference is held in Nevada, and participants vote to establish the National CASA Association. 1982: The number of CASA/GAL programs reaches 88. 1983: Twenty-nine states have CASA/GAL programs. 1984: The National CASA Association forms in Seattle. 1984: National CASA enters into its first cooperative agreement with the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which remains our largest funder to date. 1985: President Ronald Reagan presents National CASA with the President’s Volunteer Action Award. 1985: 10,000 children served annually through 159 programs 1987: 40,000 children served by 12,000 volunteers in 271 local programs and 44 states 1988: Tribal courts first begin CASA programs through grants to five tribes. 1989: National CASA becomes Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation’s national charity. 1990: 72,000 children served by 17,000 volunteers in 412 program offices 1991: The CASA program is first authorized in the Victims of Child Abuse Act. 1995: 129,000 children served by 38,000 volunteers in 642 program offices 1996: Congress amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to allow the required GAL to be an attorney or CASA volunteer. 1997: The National Bar Association endorses CASA volunteer advocacy. 2000: 174,000 children served by 47,000 volunteers in 900 program offices 2003: National CASA’s partnership with Jewelers for Children, our largest private funder, begins. 2007: CASA network reaches 2 million children served since inception. 2015: National CASA begins a partnership with Akerman LLP, a top law firm. 2016: National CASA Association opens an office in Washington, D.C.