Programs - CASA

The fates of 300,000 abandoned, neglected and abused children are decided in U.S. courts each year. These are the forgotten victims of family crisis.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers represent the best interests of a child in court. These special volunteers receive no pay, and are NOT required to have a legal background. The CASA volunteer does not provide legal representation in the courtroom, nor do they represent a child's wishes in court. Rather, they speak to the child's best interests. CASA volunteers will receive complete training courses to prepare them.

This program provides an independent advocate who will seek all the facts through personal interviews with all parties and who will expedite and monitor the child's case to completion of court proceedings. The volunteer becomes an official part of the court proceedings, working along side attorneys, and social workers as an appointed officer of the court. The goal of the CASA program is to provide these children a voice in court.

VOLUNTEER: Speak up for a child's safety and well-being

Interested in volunteering for CASA? Contact us today to learn more about helping St. Elizabeth-Catholic Charities CASA programs in Floyd or Washington Counties.

In Floyd County contact Becky Gardenour, volunteer coordinator, at 812-944-0438 ext 12. or email; or Kim Grantz, CASA Director at 812-948-0438 ext. 13 or email. View the brochure for more info. 

In Washington County contact Anne Terrell, volunteer coordinator, at 812-833-2888 or email; or Kim Grantz, CASA Director at 812-833-2888 or email. Our Washington County offices are located at 212 N. Water St. in Salem, Ind. View the brochure for more info. 

History of CASA

Concerned over making decisions about abused and neglected children's lives without sufficient information, a Seattle judge conceived the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of these children in court. So successful was this Seattle program that soon judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. In 1990, the U.S. Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA with passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act. Today more than 900 CASA program offices are in operation, with trained women and men serving as CASA volunteers.  Children in 65 of Indiana's 92 counties are served by organized volunteer programs.  Volunteers donated 508,973 hours in 2007. Had they beenpaid $50.00 per hour (the average rate paid to an attorney GAL), they would have donated a total of $25,448,650, or an average of $11,776.00 per volunteer. The Floyd and Washington County CASA Programs are both state and nationally certified. For more information about the National CASA Association, please visit www.nationalcasa.org.