CASA
Court Appointed Special Advocate
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are well-trained
volunteers who, when authorized by a judge, speak for the
best interests of abused and neglected children in court.
CASA associations train and support the volunteers who are
working to provide each child with a safe and permanent home.
When a child has a Court Appointed Special Advocate to speak
for them:
- The amount of time the child spends in dependent care
is likely to be reduced.
- The potential for the child becoming a delinquent is decreased.
- Most importantly, the child has a renewed opportunity
to bond with a permanent home.
WHY CASA
Each day in Pennsylvania, children are physically, sexually and emotionally abused and neglected. When the child welfare system intervenes, these children find themselves removed from their homes and in a court where a maze of caseworkers, therapists, attorneys, hearing officers and judges must decide where and with whom they will live. CASA came about because too often these crucial decisions are made with insufficient information and so are not in the child’s best interest. As dedicated as child welfare workers are, the demand is overwhelming. CASA programs help the court to know the child, provide a voice for the child, and help change a life of hurt to one of hope.
PA CASA
The Pennsylvania CASA Association is the statewide non-profit
organization that supports local CASA programs. CASA programs
are organized for a specific juvenile court jurisdiction.
They may be county operated, under an umbrella agency or set
up as a non-profit organization. CASA programs recruit, train
and supervise community members to investigate cases of child
abuse and neglect. When appointed by a judge, a CASA volunteer
is authorized to investigate an individual case. It is the
role of Pennsylvania CASA Association to promote public awareness
of the CASA concept, to help new programs to develop, and
to assist local CASA programs provide a voice in court for
children who are abused and neglected. Pennsylvania CASA is
committed to the goal of providing a strong advocate's voice
for every child in need.
PA CASA ASSOCIATION IS A MEMBER OF THE
NATIONAL CASA ASSOCIATION
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