MISSION
The mission of the Pennsylvania Court Appointed
Special Advocate (CASA) Association is to advance the best
interests of dependent, abused and/or neglected children
in the Commonwealth by promoting and assisting local CASA
programs. Through statewide public relations, education,
training and advocacy efforts, PA CASA works to enable assignment
of a qualified CASA Volunteer to each dependent, abused
and/or neglected child and to insure quality services, timely
decisions, and safe, permanent, nurturing homes for such
children.
In 1998, the Pennsylvania CASA Association was established.
Currently PA CASA represents and supports 14 county programs
throughout Pennsylvania. 23,609 cases of child abuse were
reported in Pennsylvania for the year 2003 of which 9,251
children were removed from setting where the alleged abuse
occurred. Because just 12 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties
had CASA programs in 2003, only a fraction of these children
had access to CASA programs. Increasing the number of CASA
programs, and recruiting and training more CASA volunteers
will allow PA CASA Association to help more children in
need.
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WHAT
IS CASA?
The CASA concept is based on the commitment
that every child has the right to a safe, permanent home.
In court jurisdictions that have adopted the program, the
juvenile or family court judge turns to a specially trained
pool of CASA volunteers each time a case involving a child
is received.
The judge appoints a volunteer to the child's case. The
volunteer then becomes an official part of the judicial
proceedings, working alongside attorneys and social workers
as an appointed officer of the court. Unlike attorneys and
social workers, however, the CASA volunteer speaks exclusively
for the child's best interests. By handling only one or
two cases at a time (compared to a social agency caseworker's
average load of 60-90), the CASA volunteer has the time
to explore thoroughly the history of each assigned case
to ensure that each child's best interests are served and
that each child is given the opportunity to be placed in
a safe, permanent and nurturing home, which is their birthright.
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HISTORY OF
CASA
In 1976, Superior Court Judge David Soukup
of Seattle, WA, saw a recurring problem in his courtroom:
“In criminal and civil cases, even though there were
always many different points of view, you walked out of
the courthouse at the end of the day and you said, ‘I’ve
done my best; I can live with the decision,’ he explains.
“But when you’re involved with a child and
you’re trying to decide what to do to facilitate that
child’s growth into a mature and happy adult, you
don’t feel like you have sufficient information to
allow you to make the right decision. You can’t walk
away and leave them at the courthouse at 4 o’clock.
You wonder, ‘Do I really know everything I should?
Have I really been told all of the different things? Is
this really right?”
To ensure he was getting all the facts and the long-term
welfare of each child was being represented, the Seattle
judge came up with an idea that would change America's judicial
procedure and the lives of thousands of children. He obtained
funding to recruit and train community volunteers to step
into courtrooms on behalf of the children: the Court Appointed
Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers.
This unique concept was implemented in Seattle as a pilot
program in January 1977. During that first year, the program
provided 110 trained CASA volunteers for 498 children in
376 dependency cases.
In 1978 the National Center of State Courts selected the
Seattle program as the "best national example of citizen
participation in the juvenile justice system." This
recognition, along with a grant from the Edna McConnell
Clark Foundation of New York City (one of CASA's earliest
and strongest supporters), resulted in the replication of
the Seattle CASA program in courts across the country.
As CASA projects developed, each new local program director
made an on-site visit to the original Seattle host program
for observation and training.
By 1982 it was clear that a national association was needed
to direct CASA's emerging national presence. The National
Court Appointed Special Advocate Association was formed
that year.
By 1984 the National CASA Association received financial
support from several significant sources: The National Council
of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, under the direction
of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention; the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services; and the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation.
National CASA also receives support from the Kappa Alpha
Theta Foundation. This international women’s fraternity
selected CASA as its philanthropy and has provided funds
for a variety of projects, including start-up grants and
a public awareness video.
The Association opened its national headquarters office
in Seattle, Washington, in the summer of 1984, and launched
a membership and fundraising drive.
On April 22, 1985, President Ronald Reagan presented the
National CASA Association with the President's Volunteer
Action Award for "outstanding volunteer contribution,
demonstrating accomplishment through voluntary action."
In August of 1989, the American Bar Association, the country's
largest professional organization of attorneys, officially
endorsed the use of CASA volunteers to work with attorneys
to speak for abused and neglected children in court.
In July of 1990, the National Council of Juvenile and Family
Court Judges names CASA "Outstanding Volunteer Program"
in America's juvenile and family courts.
Also during that year the U.S. Congress authorized the
expansion of CASA with the passage of the “Victims
of Child Abuse Act of 1990” (P.L. 101-647), so that
a “court-appointed special advocate shall be available
to every victim of child abuse or neglect in the United
State that needs such an advocate.”
In July of 1991, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, named CASA an 'Exemplary
National Program in Juvenile Delinquency Prevention."
In December of 1992, David Soukup, founder of CASA, was
recognized with an award from the Caring Institute of Washington,
DC. Also in 1992, Congress initiated funding of a grants
program to expand CASA representation of abused and neglected
children.
Today the National CASA Association represents 930 CASA
Program Sites, across 50 states. National CASA provides
support for starting programs, technical assistance, training,
and fundraising, media, and public awareness services.
Updated 8/03
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