CLIPBOARD : How to Become a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer

Each year, more than 18,000 cases of child abuse are reported in Orange County and the number of children removed from their family of origin is steadily increasing. Presently, there are nearly 3,000 abused, abandoned or neglected children in foster homes, group homes or children’s shelters. Many get lost in the shuffle, since county social workers monitor between 60 to 90 cases each, making it impossible for them to stay informed about each child’s individual needs and circumstances.

“That’s where CASA volunteers step in to fill the gap,” said Susan Leibel, executive director of Court-Appointed Special Advocates, a nonprofit agency that organizes adult volunteers to work one-to-one with children in the foster care system.

CASA volunteers are appointed by the juvenile court to monitor the child’s case and often testify in their behalf during dependency hearings. “They act as friends and advocates, spending at least three hours a week with the child, getting to know them and making sure their needs are not being overlooked,” Leibel said.

“The kids are often shuffled from one foster home to another and each time their case comes up, a different attorney or social worker might be assigned to it,” Leibel said. “The CASA volunteer is often the only consistent factor in the child’s life.”

“Some of these kids have nothing, and we’re here to do what little we can to help them,” said Bob Butler, a CASA volunteer who works with two boys, 10 and 11 years old. Their parents are in jail and there are no relatives who keep in touch. The boys live in separate group homes in Costa Mesa and Redlands.

“I spend at least one day a week with each of them, going on outings to places like Knott’s Berry Farm. The only future for many of these kids is to stay in the foster care system until they are 18. They need to know that they are special, that someone cares about them,” he said.

Barbara Sterling, who lives in La Habra, became a CASA volunteer five years ago after raising four children of her own. “Being a parent has helped me as a CASA volunteer, but it’s not a prerequisite,” Sterling said. “You’re there to be a special friend and a squeaky wheel in the child’s behalf. Otherwise, they just fall through the cracks.”

There are 140 active CASA volunteers in Orange County and more are needed, since nearly a hundred children are waiting to be matched with an advocate. Most CASA volunteers are women, and more men are needed in the program. “We would also benefit from having a better ethnic mix among our volunteers, especially people who are bilingual,” Leibel said. Most CASA volunteers work full time in a variety of professions. Others are college students or retirees.

CASA volunteers must be at least 21 years of age, but no specialized education or background is necessary. All volunteers are screened and receive 30 hours of initial training, and 10 additional hours throughout the year. After being matched with a child, CASA workers spend a minimum of one year visiting with or working in the child’s behalf for a minimum of three hours a week. Volunteers maintain close contact with the child’s social worker and foster care facility and often coordinate visits with siblings and natural parents. A monthly log is kept of all visits and contacts and a written report describing the child’s case must be submitted every six months.

“The goal is to reunite the children with their parents, and sometimes the CASA volunteer can help get the parents on the right track again,” Leibel said. “Sometimes this just isn’t possible, but at least the child has a special friend to watch out for them.”

For more information, contact CASA at (714) 834-6460.