Welcome to the “Judges’ Corner” Resource Center

The first CASA program was established by a judge, and judges continue to play a key role in developing new CASA/GAL programs, sustaining existing programs and expanding the network. An effective relationship between the program and the court is essential to CASA programs' ability to provide effective volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children.

From 2003-2008, the National CASA Association and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges formed a partnership known as the Judicial Liaison Committee. The committee was dedicated to identifying all judges who heard child welfare cases and providing them with access to technical assistance and education offered by both national organizations. The committee sponsored The Judges’ Page, a number of books and articles, a DVD/video and the “Lead Judge Project.”

This resource center is designed to provide judges with the tools they need to work effectively with the local CASA/GAL program. Judges who currently work with a local CASA/GAL program, judicial officers rotating into a dependency court assignment and judges interested in developing a CASA/GAL program will all find useful information and resources.

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Resources

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges is dedicated to serving the nation's children and families by improving the courts of juvenile and family jurisdictions. Website...

  • NCJFCJ’s 14-minute video on how CASA programs benefit dependency courts and the children they serve—View it now.
  • NCJFCJ’s Juvenile and Family Justice TODAY features articles on the judicial role in creating and supporting CASA/GAL programs and a board resolution supporting recruitment of CASA volunteers of color.  Read more... (163 KB PDF)
  • NCJFCJ’s Policy Statement, “Judicial Responsibility in a Budget Crisis Environment,” gives guidance to dependency court judges making reasonable efforts findings for the provision of services as required under federal and state laws.
  • Judges Value CASA Volunteers But Need More of Them
    Survey shows that judges find the work of CASA/GAL volunteers to be high quality, beneficial to judicial decision-making and beneficial to the children and families served. But more volunteers are needed.

National CASA Association Resources

Additional Publications of Interest

  • Healthy Beginnings, Healthy Futures: A Judges' Guide is published by the ABA Center on Children and the Law, the Zero to Three National Policy Center and NCJFCJ. Read more at the ABA website.
  • Judges' Page March 2009 Issue: The Role of CASA/GAL Programs and Volunteers in Achieving Successful Dependency Court Outcomes, including judges' thoughts about the important role CASA volunteers play in their courtroom. Read more... (328 KB PDF)
  • Court-CASA Best Practices Issue of The Judges’ Page including an article entitled “COURT-CASA Programs: Holding Each Other Accountable." Read more... (383KB PDF)
  • Court-based Education Efforts for Children in Foster Care chronicles the efforts of the Pima County Juvenile Courts to improve educational outcomes for children and youth in foster care. Download the report (1.4MB PDF) published by Casey Family Programs in 2007.
  • Lead Judge Project
    The Lead Judge Project was designed to enhance collaboration between members of the state court judiciary and CASA/GAL programs through activities that promote awareness of the role and standards of CASA/GAL programs and encourage enhancements to and expansion of the network. Lead or key contact judges have been selected in the following states to work with state and local CASA/GAL programs: AR, CA, DE, GA, ID, KY, MO, OH, OK, PA, RI, VT, VA, WI. Read more about the Lead Judge Project. 
  • In the article, “Why Is CASA So Important for Our Juvenile Courts," published in The Bench: The Official Journal of the California Judges Association, Judge Leonard Edwards (ret.) describes benefits of CASA volunteers.

Web Resources

  • ABA Center on Children and the Law
    The American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law: Improving children's lives through advances in law, justice, knowledge, practice and public policy.
    Website...
  • The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s DVD, Every Child Is Adoptable, promotes adoption from the foster care system. Free copies may be ordered on the foundation website.  
  • Child Welfare Information Gateway
    A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families and US Department of Health and Human Services, the Child Welfare Information Gateway provides a wealth of information to promote the safety, permanency and well-being of children and families. Resources include a state statutes search of issues related to child abuse and neglect, child welfare and adoption and a listing of organizations that provide information on child welfare legal issues. Website...