ABOUT
Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Each day in the U.S., 1,900 children become victims of abuse or neglect, and four of them will die. EVERY DAY.
Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a community-based program that recruits, trains and supports citizen-volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom and our community. Volunteer advocates—empowered directly by the courts—offer judges the critical information they need to ensure that each child’s rights and needs are prioritized. For many abused children, a CASA volunteer is the most consistent adult presence in their lives.
The mission of Virginia Beach CASA is to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy so that EVERY abused and neglected child can be safe, establish permanence and have the opportunity to thrive.
How Did CASA Begin?
In 1977, a Seattle juvenile court judge concerned about making drastic decisions with insufficient information conceived the idea of citizen volunteers speaking up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom. From that first program, a network of more than 946 CASA and guardian ad litem programs have developed that are currently recruiting, training and supporting volunteers in 49 states.
In 1988 the Virginia Beach Juvenile Court judges requested a CASA program be developed in Virginia Beach to advocate for safe, permanent homes for the abused and neglected children of our city. When our first class of CASA volunteers completed training and started accepting cases in May 1989 there were only 3 other CASA programs in the state of Virginia. In 1990, the General Assembly enacted legislation providing for statewide implementation of the CASA program. Today there are 28 CASA programs in Virginia, with several additional jurisdictions looking into starting programs in the near future. Virginia Beach CASA incorporated in May 1994, is recognized as a 501c(3) non-profit organization, and has provided advocacy for over 3,300 Virginia Beach children.
WHO are CASA Volunteers?
You do not have to be a lawyer or a social worker to be a volunteer. CASA needs people from all walks of life. We are looking for people who care about children and have common sense. As a volunteer, you will be thoroughly trained and supported by professional staff.
You must pass a background check, participate in a 30-hour pre-service training course, and agree to stay with a case until it is closed.
HOW Do CASA Volunteers Help?
CASA volunteers are appointed by juvenile court judges to advocate for abused and neglected children. CASA volunteers stay on each case until the child is placed in a safe, permanent home.
Independent research has demonstrated that children with a CASA volunteer are substantially less likely to spend time in long-term foster care and less likely to re-enter care. They also have higher levels of hope and resilience.
WHO are the Children CASA Volunteers Help?
Judges appoint CASA volunteers to represent the best interests of children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Each year, more than 600,000 children experience foster care in this country. Because there are not enough CASA volunteers to represent all of the children in care, judges typically assign CASA volunteers to the most difficult cases.
Virginia Beach CASA Supporters
You Can Make a Difference Today!
