CASA volunteers act as a consistent mentor, role model, support person, and advocate. CONTACT CASA:
Entry into the CASA office is by appointment only! Once arriving please call 565-6375 and we will let you in. Thank you for understanding. CASA of Sonoma County
P.O. Box 1418
Kenwood, CA 95452
Phone: (707) 565-6375
Fax: (707) 565-6379
Email: [email protected]
~ CASA Volunteer:
A Court Appointed
Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained volunteer appointed by a judicial officer to provide advocacy for a child who is under the jurisdiction of the courts due to abuse or neglect. The CASA serves as the “eyes and ears” of the judge for children in foster care. Volunteers spend time with children, monitor needed services, and provide child-focused recommendations to the court based on the best interest of the children they serve. A CASA volunteer remains with each child until they are placed in a safe, permanent and nurturing home. The volunteer has three essential roles as an advocate:
- To be the child's voice in court, representing their needs, concerns, and best interests;
- To complement the Juvenile Court/Child Welfare systems by researching and assessing the circumstances of each case and reporting their recommendations and findings;
-To continue to support the child and the progress of the case as it moves through the system;
~ Program Description:
The goal of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program is to prevent abused and neglected children from becoming lost in the Juvenile Dependency system. The objective of matching a CASA Volunteer, a trained advocate from the community is to ensure that the child's best interest is represented. The program receives referrals directly from the Juvenile Court. CASAs are matched to the child and provide approximately 10-12 hours of service per month on casework. After reviewing the case information and court reports the volunteer consults with clinical and program staff to develop a case plan. Prior to each court hearing, the volunteer prepares a court report containing their evaluations and recommendations for the child. The Juvenile Court judge reads and considers the CASA report in addition to the social worker's report prior to making his decision. Volunteers attend all Juvenile Court hearings that affect the rights and welfare of the child. Each court appointed volunteer is carefully screened and receives 32-36 hours of expert training in skills necessary to fulfill his or her responsibilities. CASA volunteers are in a unique position because they provide information not usually available to the Juvenile Court. Because of the growing number of cases filed in Juvenile Court and dwindling resources to adequately monitor the cases, judges find the CASA volunteers to be positive complements to providing the information necessary to make better-informed decisions. In addition to our services to abused and neglected children, the CASA program works to provide community education and awareness concerning the issues of child abuse, neglect and child welfare policy. We are also committed to working toward public policies that promote child abuse prevention and addressing reforms in the Juvenile Dependency/Foster Care system.
~ How can you help:
Become a CASA Volunteer
Become an Office or Fundraising Volunteer
Become a Donor
~ A bit of history:
CASA is a non-profit community organization that provides volunteer advocacy services to children who are under Juvenile Court jurisdiction (i.e., foster care, adoption services, and juvenile delinquency). Superior Court Judge Arnold Rosenfield founded the Sonoma County CASA program in 1996 with our founding Executive Director Millie Gilson. The Judge was concerned because he often saw children languishing in the foster care system or becoming the victims of poorly documented or supported decisions. The Judge was also concerned with the self-esteem and emotional care that the children received. This CASA program was the 32nd program founded in the state of California. Since its inception, CASA has been the “Child’s Voice in Court” for OVER 1,500 abused and neglected children serving as the “eyes and ears” of the judge for children in foster care.
