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What is a CASA?
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A CASA (Court Appointed
Special Advocate) is a trained citizen who is
appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of a
child in court. Children helped by CASAs include those for
whom have been abused and or neglected and for whom home
placement is being determined in the juvenile court. These
children are wards of the state and live in foster houses
throughout our community.
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What is the
role of a CASA?
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A CASA provides a
judge with a carefully researched background of the child to
help the court make a sound decision about that child’s
future.
Each decisions is as unique as the
child involved. The CASA's
report will recommends if it is in the
child’s best interest to stay with his or her parents or
guardians, be placed in foster care, or be freed for
permanent adoption. The CASA follows through on the case
until it is permanently resolved.
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How does a CASA investigate a case?
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To prepare a recommendation,
the CASA talks with the child, parents,
family members, social workers, school officials, health
providers and others who are knowledgeable about the child’s
history. The CASA also reviews all records
pertaining to the child such as school, medical, social
worker reports, and other documents.
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Is there a
“typical” CASA?
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CASAs come from all
walks of life with a variety of professional, educational
and ethnic backgrounds. There are more than 52,000 CASA
volunteers nationwide. Aside from their CASA work, 50% are
employed with full time jobs: 82% of the
CASAs nationwide
are women; 18% are men
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How do CASAs relate to the child he
or she represents?
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CASAs offer
children trust and advocacy during complex legal
proceedings. They explain to the child the events that are
happening regarding the reason they are in court.
CASAs also explain the roles
the judge, lawyers, and social workers play. CASAs also encourage the child to express his or her own opinion
and hopes, while remaining objective observers.
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What are
the benefits of a CASA program?
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The child understands that
there is one special person whose purpose is to help him or
her. Consequently, the system seems a little less
overwhelming. The judge receives important information to
assist him or her in making a decision about the child’s
future. The CASA becomes directly involved in
protecting the rights of children.
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Do lawyers, judges and social workers support CASA?
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Yes. Juvenile court judges
implement the CASA program in their courtrooms.
After the successful
completion of the CASA training, CASAs have the privilege of
participating in a swearing in ceremony hosted by a juvenile
court judge. All CASA cases are appointed by the juvenile
court judges.
CASA has been endorsed by the American Bar
Association, the National Council of Juvenile and Family
Court Judges, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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What is the CASA
philosophy?
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The CASA concept is based on
the commitment that every child has the right to a safe,
permanent home. The juvenile court judge appoints a
CASA to the child’s case. The CASA 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
speaks exclusively for the child’s best
interests. By handling only one or two cases at a time the
CASA has time to thoroughly explore the history of
each assigned case. There are other child advocacy
organizations, but CASA is the only program where volunteers
are appointed by the court to represent a child’s best
interests.
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How are
CASAs trained?
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CASAs receive 40 hours of classroom instruction from judges,
social workers, and other professionals in our community.
There is also a 6-hour internship in courtroom observation
that is required before a CASA is court appointed.
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How much time does
it require?
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Each case is different. A
CASA usually spends about 10 hours doing research and
conducting interviews prior to the first court appearance.
More complicated cases take longer. Once initiated into the
system, CASAs work about
10-15 hours per month.
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How long does a CASA remain involved with a case?
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The CASA program requires
all CASAs to commit to a minimum of one year.
One of the
primary benefits of the CASA program is that, unlike other
court principals who often rotate cases, the CASA
is a consistent figure in the
child's life and provides continuity necessary in the court
proceedings.
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Where do CASAs serve?
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CASAs work in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts in
the 7th Judicial District, which serves the City
of Newport News.
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How is Newport
News CASA funded?
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CASA is funded from several
sources among them: the City of Newport News (thru the
Community Support Agency Funding process), the Virginia
General Assembly (administered through the Department of
Criminal Justice Services), Private and Corporate Donations,
Faith Community, Civic Organizations, and Special Events.
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What is in the Code of Virginia concerning CASA?
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§ 9.1-151. Court-Appointed
Special Advocate Program; appointment of advisory committee.
§ 9.1-152. Local
court-appointed special advocate programs; powers and
duties.
§ 9.1-153. Volunteer
court-appointed special advocates; powers and duties;
assignment; qualifications; training.
§ 9.1-154. Immunity.
§ 9.1-155. Notice of hearings
and proceedings.
§ 9.1-156. Inspection and
copying of records by advocate; confidentiality of records.
§ 9.1-157. Cooperation of
state and local entities.
§ 63.1-248.3. Physicians,
nurses, teachers, etc., to report certain injuries to
children; penalty for failure to report.
§ 16.1-274. Time for filing of reports; copies furnished to
attorneys; amended reports; fees
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