CASA volunteers serve vital role with foster children

Children in foster care are often surrounded by a wealth of adults overseeing their care and needs—foster and biological parents, case managers, attorneys, and others. Among the key individuals evaluating their care are the court appointed special advocates (CASAs) who serve as advocates for children “while maintaining proper ethical behavior, respect, and confidentiality,” according to the DeKalb CASA program’s website. 

Currently there are 41 active CASAs in DeKalb County’s program serving more than 200 children. However, Tara Daniels, executive director of Dekalb CASA, said that’s only 50 percent of the more than 500 children in foster care in the county. She added that DeKalb has the most children in foster care in the state. 

“Those volunteers meet with everyone involved in the case,” said Daniels. “Doctors, therapists, teachers, grandparents. Anybody who comes into contact with the children they meet with them.” 

From those meetings and observations—and working with the children’s case managers and child advocate attorneys—the CASAs create a report for the court about services the children need, the progress or lack of progress being made by parents/guardians to get the children returned home, and whether another option is recommended, according to Daniels. Those options could include shifting guardianship, terminating parental rights, adoption, etc. 

Their goal is to make recommendations in the best interests of the children and create a path to a permanent home, she said. 

“The overarching goal is permanency,” said Daniels. 

Created in 1977 in Seattle, Washington, CASAs and guardians ad litem (GAL) are now working in 890 state and local programs in 49 states. These 79,000 volunteers are serving 214,000 children annually, according to the national CASA/GAL website. 

Referrals for a CASA to be assigned to a child in foster care come from judges, community members, child advocate attorneys, parents attorneys, case managers and others. Currently, each child’s case is evaluated with those with the most extreme circumstances assigned a CASA, she added. 

Daniels, who’s been involved in working with the CASA program for 25 years, said children come into foster care for a myriad of reasons: abuse, neglect, abandonment, educational and medical neglect, etc. 

“We advocate on the behalf of the children who come into care for different reasons,” she said adding that more volunteers are needed locally. 

“Not every child in foster care has a CASA,” said Daniels. “We would love to be able to have a CASA for every child. 

Before being sworn in by a judge as a CASA, volunteers receive 30 hours of training, Daniels said. CASAs have an advocate coordinator to bounce ideas off of, to vent to, ask questions of, etc. 

“They are never alone on that case,” said Daniels. 

DeKalb CASA holds five training sessions a year and orientations twice a month. CASA volunteers are asked to make a one-year commitment to the program, although most volunteers continue service for more than a year, she added. 

Asked who is ideal to become a CASA, Daniels said anyone 21 and older who has children’s best interest at heart, is open minded, and has good communication skills. 

For more information about DeKalb County CASA, visit www.dekalbcasa.org.