CASA - Court-Appointed Special Advocate
by Lorine Parks
Make a lifetime difference for a child. That’s a tall order, but that’s what CASA does. CASA stands for Court-Appointed Special Advocate, a volunteer organization dedicated to seeing that the lives of foster children do not fall into the cracks and loopholes of the legal system.
Started in 1977 by a concerned judge in Seattle who was frustrated with the system, there are now 500 CASA chapters looking after 20,000 kids who would otherwise continue to have serious needs unmet.
Foster children are at worst abused and at the least often neglected. CASA volunteers are recognized with legal authority to make recommendations to the Court, whereas a foster parent, for example, or a social case worker, is not.
So CASA volunteers, who have full access to a child’s records, will get to know the child assigned to them, will meet with the attorney and case worker and visit the foster home on a monthly basis. Because they have the ear of the judge, their recommendations stand a good chance of getting translated into action.
From getting teeth fixed and eyeglasses prescribed, to getting counsel when they become at risk of becoming a gang member or trapped into the slavery of prostitution, children in foster care benefit hugely from CASA.
Anyone interested in applying to work with them may contact CASA at www.casala.org or call the Main Office in Monterey Park at 323 859-2888. The training course takes one week and the effect on a child will last a lifetime.