1978

First CASA program starts in Seattle, Washington

1981

Great Falls program begins Guardian ad Litem program with one volunteer

1984

Anaconda GAL begins

1984

GAL program begins with one volunteer in Malta, 17th Judicial District

1986

Gallatin County GAL program begun by Judge Gary in Bozeman

1987

Great Falls program forms a board of directors

1988

Great Falls program incorporates as Cascade GAL program. Darcy Crum and Sherry Meador were the driving forces behind the move for a State Association. The original State Association grant was written by Sherry Meador, Darcy Crum and Laura Singley

1993

Eastern Montana CASA begins in Miles City

1994

Eastern Montana gets first NCASA grant to cover 16th Judicial District

1994

CASA of Missoula begins Montana CASA/GAL (CASA of Missoula) begins, this program covered both the State of Montana and Missoula - it was started by Judge John Larson

1995

After collapse of the first state association, Laura B. Singley serves as the Montana State Representative for NCASAA

1996

Great Falls & Bozeman Programs affiliate with NCASA

1997

The Court Assessment Program begins to assist the State CASA/GAL network in holding quarterly meetings. The meetings included CASA/GAL programs from: Bozeman, Great Falls, Lewistown, Miles City, Missoula, as well as other individuals/communities with an interest to begin CASA/GAL programs in their District.

1997

Central Montana CASA/GAL representatives Laura B. Singley; NCASAA State Representative/Program Director; and other people, including Judge Larson and Judge Rapkoch present CASA to judges at the Fall Judicial Conference in Red Lodge, MT.

1997/98

A decision was made to apply for NCASAA funding to start a Montana CASA/GAL State Association - Sherry Meador, who served as the lead writer, Darcy Crum & Laura Singley co-wrote the application to NCASAA, which was funded, and CASA/GAL of Montana was born.

July 1998

Tara Huber starts as CASA/GAL Coordinator with NCASA grant,
Bill Collins starts work as Program Director, CASA Advocates for Kids (Helena)

September 1998

First CASA/GAL network meeting - Bozeman, Helena and others

1999

17th Judicial District program revitalized, volunteer director appointed

2000

Eastern Montana gets expansion grant to reach 7th judicial district

April 2000

Front Range CASA/GAL appointed to first case

July 2000

Yellowstone County CASA/GAL begins under Family Support Network

February 2001

Front Range CASA/GAL incorporates as non-profit

July 2001

CASA/GAL moves under state Supreme Court with Coordinator Doug Dellwo

January 2002

Bitterroot CASA incorporates

July 2002

Coordinator Doug Dellwo leaves.

October 2002

New State Coordinator Ellen M. Bush begins work

November 2002

Yellowstone CASA incorporates

2002

6th Judicial District CASA/GAL incorporates

April 2003

Yellowstone CASA moves to office separate from Family Resource Center

January 2004

6th Judicial District CASA/GAL (Livingston) begins taking cases

July 2004

Lake County CASA gets NCASA startup grant, begins operation

July 2004

Anaconda GAL joins CASA, becomes Anaconda CASA/GAL

October 2004

First state board meeting for CASA/GAL of Montana

August 2005

CASA of Montana moves to off site location from state government

September 2005

First Park-2-Park Montana bike ride raises $5,000

October 2005

CASA of Montana approved as tax -exempt nonprofit

January 2006

Final split with state, employees now work for nonprofit

September 2006

Second Park-2-Park Montana bike ride raises almost $20,000 for local CASA programs

January 2007

CASA of Montana gets AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) member, Santella Baglivo, to help build the capacity and sustainability of the program.

May 2007

CASA of Montana awarded National Certification for high standards for program operations and management

May 2008

50 life-sized stand-up images of children in CASA care appear on the grounds of the Washington Monument representing the number of children who enter the foster care system every day; more cutouts of the children appeared each day

July/August 2008

CASA joins Facebook!

November 2008

Helena CASA program reaches 10-year anniversary!

June 2009

CASA of Missoula welcomes new executive director, Lanette Diaz

September 2009

5th annual Park2Park a success!

September 2009

New president of the Board of Directors for CASA of MT in Helena, Joyce Funda of Kalispell

January/February 2010

New AmeriCorps VISTAs begin working with CASA programs in Missoula (Kirsten Vorreyer of Helena) and in Helena (Laura Fremeau of Boston)

January 2011

Yellowstone CASA of Billings celebrates its 10th Anniversary!