FAQs - CASA Advocates
Can a CASA advocate really make a difference?
In an overburdened system, Voices advocates are the only people focused solely on the child’s needs. By giving the child a powerful voice in critical decisions affecting his life, the CASA advocate can be the difference between a child languishing in a bureaucracy and a child who has what he needs to flourish.
Judges have observed that CASA-represented children also have a better chance of finding permanent homes. National research shows that children who have a CASA advocate tend to spend less time in foster care, receive more court-ordered services and their cases are less likely to reenter the child welfare system.
A CASA advocate makes a profound and positive difference for abused children.
Who does a CASA advocate help?
CASA advocates work with child victims of abuse and neglect of all ages – from birth through age 21. Some are typical kids caught up in a difficult situation; some have other challenges. All suffer from the trauma of abuse and neglect and having been removed from their family.
What do City CASA advocates do?
The goal of our advocates is to guide abused children out of the foster care system as quickly as possible to a safe, loving, permanent home. CASA advocates represent the best interest of the child – sometimes that can be in conflict with the child’s wishes.
CASA advocates gather all pertinent information about their child’s case and make informed recommendations based on their independent investigation as to the child’s best interest. The advocate is charged with identifying the child’s needs and strengths and ensuring services, family visits and other court orders are completed.
Advocates act as a communications link in the maze of the child welfare system, ensuring the child’s voice is heard and the judge is kept apprised of the status of the child and the case’s progress.
What is needed to be an effective CASA advocate?
Effective advocates have a genuine interest in the well-being of children and can sustain a commitment to advocate for a child until a safe and permanent home is found. They understand how important a reliable adult is in the life of a foster child to provide the continuity that they may not have from anyone else.
Effective advocates are objective and non-judgmental and can interact with people of various educational, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Representing the best interest of a child demands that the advocate work cooperatively with others involved with the case, but they must also be able to speak up in the face of conflict.
Is there a typical CASA advocate?
City CASA advocates come from very diverse backgrounds. Some have full-time careers, others work part-time or are retired while others are full-time parents or graduate students. Our youngest volunteer is 21 and our most mature volunteer is nearing 90.
The one thing our advocates have in common is that they deeply care for the well-being of children. Their passion fuels a commitment to help our kids on their journey through foster care – making their time in care healing time.
How are City CASA advocates supported in their work?
In addition to the indepth 30-hour pre-service advocacy training, each CASA advocate has a supervising attorney who is appointed as the guardian ad litem for the child/ren. This child advocacy attorney provides guidance and moral support continuously throughout the case. Advocates also receive 12 hours of continuing education each year.
Many continuing education opportunities are offered throughout the year to provide further development of advocacy skills and additional expertise in areas of specialized need such as educational advocacy, working with older youth, etc. City CASA advocates can choose from a range of options to satisfy the 12 hours of continuing education required, including workshops, community presentations, documentaries, books, etc.
How many children does a City CASA advocate work with at a time?
The number varies based on the number of siblings and the number of cases. A new advocate will have one case with typically one to three siblings.
How much time is required?
In the amount of time you might spend each week doing something ordinary like going out to dinner or to a movie, you can do something extraordinary – make a lifelong difference in a child’s life. Every child and every case is different and different stages of a case have varying demands. On average, a CASA advocate will spend 10-15 hours per month on case-related activities. The scheduling of most activities can be flexibly fit into your schedule.
How long does a City CASA advocate remain involved?
We ask for a one year commitment, but the goal is to stay with the child’s case until it is permanently resolved. A unique benefit of CASA advocates is the depth of knowledge and continuity they provide in a system where there can be a high level of turnover of professionals and caregivers.
When does a City CASA advocate begin working with a child?
In most cases, we assign a CASA advocate to a case as soon as we are appointed to the case. This means the advocate begins working with the child/ren within 72 hours of their being brought into protective custody.
How long does each case last?
Every case is different and depends on a number of factors including the type of abuse or neglect, the ability and willingness of the parents to fix the underlying problem, the availability of a relative for possible placement and the age of the child. On average, a case will last between 12 and 24 months. In some instances, a case will close much sooner and in others, it could go on longer.
How are CASA advocates different from a child’s case manager?
The case manager is responsible for coordinating and supporting the foster placement, arranging assessments and services for the child, overseeing day-to-day caregiving including everyday needs like clothing, school enrollment, medical services, family visits, etc. The case manager also coordinates evaluations and services for parents.
The CASA advocate identifies needs, makes recommendations and monitors progress based on an indepth knowledge of the child. And while the advocate may help identify appropriate resources and observes visits with parents, etc., he does not coordinate the delivery of or provide transportation for services.
How are CASA advocates different from mentors?
The goal of a mentor is to develop a positive relationship with a child to provide friendship and to be a role model. While CASA kids often benefit from their relationship with a CASA advocate in the same way, this is not the purpose of the CASA advocate’s role.
The CASA advocate develops a trusting relationship with the child so that he or she can determine what the child’s needs are and what is in the child’s best interest. The job of the CASA advocate goes far beyond cultivating a relationship.
Is there anything dangerous about being a City CASA advocate?
There has never been an incident when a City CASA advocate has been harmed in the course of his or her work on a case.
