CASA volunteer Advocates are everyday people – teachers, business people, retirees, stay-at-home moms, and grandparents – who are committed to making a difference for children who might otherwise slip through the cracks in an overburdened foster care system. They are appointed by judges to one child or one set of siblings, focusing solely on that one child or sibling group and their family throughout the duration of the case. CASA volunteer Advocates research case records and speak to each person involved in a child’s life, including family members, teachers, doctors, lawyers, and social workers. CASA volunteer Advocates identify supportive people in the child’s life that CASA can work with to promote safety and well-being for the child during their time in care. They monitor the progress of the child and family throughout the case and advocate for the child’s current and future needs in court, in school, and in agency meetings. Their independent evaluations allow the Court to make better informed decisions.
Because CASAs serve on one case at a time, they truly get to know the child and can give each case the sustained, personal attention it deserves.
We invite you to join our family of Advocates and make a difference in a child’s life – and your own.
Qualifications
A CASA volunteer Advocate must:
- Be 21 years of age or older.
- Have a concern for children and a genuine desire to help.
- Have sound oral and written communication skills.
- Have good human relations skills, willingness to be objective and sensitive to cultural/ethnic differences.
- Successfully pass screening and background check requirements.
- Successfully complete initial training provided by the CASA in the Heart of Texas program.
(30 hours of initial training plus 3 hours of courtroom observation) - Be able to make a 12-18 month commitment to a case. (An average of 10-20 hours per month)
- Be able to keep information confidential and work within established program guidelines.
- Recognize the privilege that being a CASA volunteer Advocate for a child is.
- You cannot be a current foster parent or be in the process of adopting a child from Child Protective Services.
Ready to VOlunteer?
Take these two steps to apply to become a CASA advocate:
1. Fill out the three Additional Forms below (authorizations for background checks and autobiography).
2. Click on the Apply Now button below to fill out an application online.
*Please Note* Your application is not complete until the application and the additional forms have been received. Please email the additional forms (see below) to casa@casahot.org or fax to (325)-643-6147.