CASA 20th
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of the 20th Judicial District recruits and trains local advocates to stand up for abused and neglected children. They represent the child’s best interests in court, and help them find safe, permanent homes.
The CASA Advocate provides consistency and stability in a time of turmoil. A CASA Advocate is more than a volunteer – they complete 30 hours of training and become a sworn officer of the court.
When a CASA is appointed a case, they explore the child’s background and assess their situation to make objective recommendations to the court. The child may be placed with parents, relatives, foster care, or available for permanent adoption. A CASA stays with a case until the child is in a safe, permanent home.
Please click here to learn about becoming an advocate
Together, these programs protect children from further harm and restore hope to their lives.
CASA of the 20th Judicial District serves abused and neglected children in Faulkner, Van Buren & Searcy counties.
Our Mission is to provide a voice in court for and on behalf of abused and neglected children who might otherwise have no voice for placement in a safe, permanent home.
We accomplish this mission by recruiting, screening, training and supervising volunteers to work within the court system as “officers of the court” on behalf of these children. CASA volunteers become the “eyes and ears” for the judge and help ensure that the child makes it to a safe, permanent home and does not become lost in the court system.
The CASA Impact makes a lifelong difference for a child. It is the CASA volunteer’s duty to focus on the child’s best interests and express the child’s needs and wishes to the judge.
A CASA volunteer is appointed to only one case at a time. The focus and attention they can show the child means they often become the most important and constant person in that child’s life. By simply listening, encouraging and speaking up for the child, CASA volunteers help the child to feel cared about and able to reach their full potential.
The CASA Way of communicating with the social workers, foster parents, family, teachers, and most importantly, the child allows
the advocate to provide the judge with comprehensive information that helps in providing a focused, personal and heartfelt understanding of what is in the best interest of the child. A CASA volunteer can be the difference between success and failure in a child’s life.
