Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA)

The Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA) is a child advocacy organization that seeks to provide trained volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children who are the subjects of juvenile court proceedings. CASA volunteers advocate for safe, permanent homes for children. 

In 1977, Judge David Soukup founded CASA to address the need for more information on cases involving children in Seattle, Washington courts. The social services and legal systems were overburdened; thus, CASA was created to assist in obtaining information and provide follow-up monitoring of court orders.

Founded in 1982, the National CASA/GAL Association provides technical assistance and national leadership to local CASA programs. The CASA concept is endorsed by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). There are nearly 900 CASA/GAL programs in 49 states recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom and other settings. Nearly 85,000 CASA volunteers advocate for these children across the country.
 

Virginia CASA History

In 1985, Virginia’s first CASA program began in Roanoke. Soon after, the second program began in Norfolk. In 1990, the Virginia General Assembly enacted legislation providing for statewide implementation of the CASA program. The legislation assigned DCJS the responsibility of local program oversight and the development of statewide regulations. These regulations provide programs with standards to help ensure consistency in program development and service delivery. They address several areas, including screening, training, and policy and procedure development for local programs. The regulations were revised in 2008.
 

Virginia CASA Programs

•    3,260 children were served in 2023-2024
•    1,331 CASA volunteers provided advocacy in 2023-2024
•    138,202 volunteer advocacy hours were contributed (valued at $4,613,183)
Source: Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Office of Programs, CASA Program, March 2024.

CASA programs are initiated, developed, and operated at the local level with regulatory and oversight monitoring provided by DCJS. Currently, there are 27 operational CASA programs in Virginia. For more information about local programs, including volunteer opportunities, please visit https://virginiacasa.org. 
 

CASA Volunteers

The CASA legislation outlines five major duties of a CASA volunteer:
•    Investigate the circumstances of the case. 
•    Submit to the court a written report of the investigation. 
•    Monitor the case to ensure compliance with court orders. 
•    Assist the Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) if one has been appointed. 
•    Report allegations of abuse or neglect to the Department of Social Services.

To become a CASA volunteer: 
•    Contact the nearest CASA program in your area
                                     or 
•    Contact Melissa O'Neill, the Virginia CASA Program Coordinator at DCJS. 
 

CASA Program Resources

• State Child Abuse Registries | Adopt Us Kids
• Court-Appointed Special Advocate Program | Code of Virginia § 9.1-151
• Regulations Relating to the CASA Program | Virginia Administrative Code
• CASA/CJA Advisory Committee Guidance Policies | DCJS
• CASA Records Retention and Disposition Schedule NO. 27 | Library of Virginia