What Do Volunteers Do?

"Being a CASA volunteer is a way to come to the aid of those who cannot speak for themselves. It is a way that an average person can make an extraordinary difference." Read more from CASA volunteer Clare McCarroll.

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home. They stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence—the one adult who cares only for them.

Volunteers get to know the child and meet with the people who are important in that child's life: family members, teachers, medical professionals and others. Their research informs the decisions of the judge and ultimately helps the child to find a safe, permanent home.

Being a CASA volunteer does not require any special education or background, simply the desire to help abused and neglected children find safe, permanent homes.

So what does it take to become a CASA volunteer?

• The first step: Every volunteer passes a background check and participates in a 30-hour training course.
• After successfully completing the training, the volunteer is assigned his first case. A volunteer's average time commitment to a case is approximately 10 hours per month.
• Volunteer advocates are asked to dedicate themselves to a case until it is closed. The average case lasts about a year and a half.
• Advocates are supervised every step of the way and always have resources readily available.

To learn more about the typical duties of a CASA volunteer, read the Volunteer Commitment Top Ten List.

Hear from Ryan Whitfill, a volunteer with Dallas CASA, who shares his experience as a new advocate in a National CASA podcast. Listen with the player below or download the MP3 audio file.