Questions? Good. That means you’re considering it.

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained and committed volunteer who ensures that each child’s individual needs remain a priority in an overburdened child welfare system. CASAs are appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interests of children removed from a home due to abuse or neglect.

No special education, experience, or background is needed. Our advocates come from every walk of life and share a commitment to improving children’s lives, a willingness to learn, and an open mind toward life experiences different from their own.

CASA volunteers get to know the child and gather information from everyone involved in their daily life — family members, foster parents, teachers, daycare providers, doctors, lawyers, and social workers. You’ll need to:

• Be 21 years of age or older
• Be committed to improving the lives of vulnerable children
• Bring passion, positivity, and professionalism
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Be comfortable with word processing and database technology
• Have availability for 35 hours of training and 10–15 hours per month of advocacy
• Bring a willingness to learn and an open mind

Beyond the prerequisites, applicants complete an application, a pre-training interview, and CASA training. Applicants may not be a current foster parent or in the process of adopting a child from Child Protective Services. Attorneys may not concurrently be appointed to any cases involving CPS in the Eastern Panhandle.

Most CASAs spend an average of 10 hours a month on their case — visits, phone calls, case review, meetings, and court hearings.

All CASAs choose between three cases suggested by their Volunteer Supervisor. If you’re uncomfortable with the details after reviewing case files, your supervisor will provide additional cases to select from.

Complete a Court Advocate application with CASA-EP, followed by a background check and an interview with a Volunteer Supervisor.

It varies with complexity and the number of children involved. On average, CASAs are encouraged to commit to one year of service per case.

When it is safe and in the child’s best interest, CASA’s primary goal is to reunify children with their families. Advocates get to know and work with a child’s biological parents and extended family to support the child’s feelings of connectedness and well-being — sometimes including facilitating placement with relatives or reconnecting distant family members.

The CASA volunteer builds a trusting relationship with the child through in-person visits at least once a month, and talks to parents, teachers, doctors, therapists, and caregivers. A court order allows the CASA to review all records pertaining to the child — school, medical, and caseworker reports. This is not an investigation of the original abuse or neglect; CPS investigators will have already concluded that work.

Every volunteer is paired with a staff Volunteer Supervisor who supports and guides them every step of the way — preparing for and attending hearings and meetings, and pointing to resources specific to each case. If a supervisor isn’t available, another CASA staff member attends to support the volunteer.

CASA is a separate nonprofit that exists outside the Child Protective Services state system. Advocates are appointed by the court to focus specifically on the child’s best interest with an unbiased community perspective — and they advocate for one child or family of children at a time, while a CPS caseworker carries a full caseload.

Once a case is over and children have safely reached permanency, CASA requires volunteers to end contact. Staying in a child’s life can anchor them to a time of instability or create dependency — a healthy transition matters. In certain cases, a teen who ages out at 18 may choose to keep their CASA volunteer in their life as a supportive adult connection, though no longer as an advocate.