What is CASA?

In 1977, concerned over making decisions about abused and neglected children's lives without sufficient information, a Seattle judge conceived the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of these children in court...

So successful was this Seattle program that soon judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. In 1990, the U.S. Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA with passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act. Today more than 900 CASA programs are in operation across the country, with over 50,000 women and men serving as CASA volunteers. CASA is an acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocate.

GIVING MONTANA'S CHILDREN A VOICE AND A HOPE

Meeting the needs of abused and neglected children, through the work of trained volunteers, is the aim of the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program of Montana. Its 15 local non-profit groups work together for the welfare of Montana's children, providing them with a voice, a hope and a future.

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to speak out for the best interests of children who have been removed from their homes through no fault of their own. These children are usually in temporary foster care and group homes. The CASA is often the only constant in the lives of such children.

View the Timeline of CASA programs in Montana

What is a CASA?

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are community volunteers trained by local program directors to speak up for abused and neglected children in court. With the information provided by the CASA volunteers, judges are able to make more informed decisions as to what is best for the child. These volunteers are often appointed as a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) for a child.

CASA/GAL volunteers review records, gather information, and talk to everyone involved-parents, teachers, foster parents, therapists, and of course, the child. From this information, they present recommendations to the judge as to what is best for the child. CASA volunteers believe that children deserve every chance to grow up in a safe, nurturing home.

CASA of Montana is a network of 15 local CASA/GAL offices throughout Montana. These programs provide trained volunteers as advocates to children in about 50 percent of the abuse/neglect cases in the state. The 15 programs service 37 counties and provide more than 400 trained volunteers. In 2006 these volunteers served over 22,000 hours on behalf of more than 1,000 children, nearly half of the 2,100 in out of home care.