WHAT IS A CASA?

OUR CHILDREN NEED YOU

In Sacramento County, an estimated 2,000 children will spend time in foster care this year. These children need you to speak up for them.

OUR CHILDREN NEED YOU

In Sacramento County, an estimated 2,000 children will spend time in foster care this year. These children need you to speak up for them.

WHAT IS A CASA?

[KAH - SAH]

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASAs are volunteers of all backgrounds who make a commitment to advocate for the needs of the child or sibling group with whom they are matched. A CASA gets to know a child’s situation, communicates with professionals on the case, and makes sure the child’s needs are being met.

Over time, a CASA often becomes the most consistent person in a child’s life. At regular court hearings required for all children in foster care, our CASAs report on the children’s progress and needs, which is essential for judges to make the best decisions for their futures.

1

Attend an Information Session

Review our requirements for becoming a CASA. Then, view the recorded Orientation Session, where you will hear from our Recruitment and Training Director. Once completed, you may proceed to the application process.

2

Apply Online​

Complete an application online to become a CASA volunteer in Sacramento County. Your application needs to be submitted prior to your initial interview.

3

Interview

During your initial interview, you will have an opportunity to tell us about yourself and why you are interested in volunteering. In order to safely and effectively support children in foster care, we have a responsibility to ensure interested volunteers are there for the right reasons.

4

Train

Our hybrid training is designed to prepare you to be a successful advocate for child. You will engage in 35 hours of in-person and online instruction covering topics like child development, dependency law and cultural agility. There is a nominal fingerprinting fee, which can be waived if needed.

5

Meet Your Supervisor

After completing training, you will be matched with a Case Supervisor, a CASA Sacramento staff member who will work closely with you on the child’s case to provide support in all aspects of your CASA service.

6

Advocate

Once you’ve complete training and passed all required background checks, you are ready to advocate. You’ll be sworn in by the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Courts and will then be matched with a child or sibling set.

Find Out More About The
Roles And Responsibilities Of
A Casa Volunteer .

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All CASA volunteers must satisfy the following requirements:
  • All Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA volunteers, must satisfy the following requirements:
  • Be at least 21 years of age to begin service.
  • Commit to a minimum 18 months of volunteer service.
  • Have at least 2 years of licensed driving experience in the U.S. and a U.S.- issued driver license valid in their state of residence.
  • Have reliable access to a vehicle.
  • Clear a criminal background check.
  • Be willing to drive to a variety of locations throughout the county.
  • Maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries.
  • You may be ineligible to volunteer if any of the following apply:
    • You work or volunteer for an agency that serves children in foster care or their families.
    • You hold an active foster parent license.
    • You are in the process of adopting a child through the County of Sacramento.
    • You have more than 3 minor moving violations within the past 3 years.
    • You’ve had any major moving violations (DUI conviction, etc.) within the last 4 years.

CASA Top 10 Commitment List

  • Gather information in order to establish the facts and circumstances of the child’s situation by reviewing relevant documents and speaking with the child and people in the child’s life.
  • Engage in a relationship with the child by meeting regularly to construct your own recommendations based on the facts and what you observe and gather from the child.
  • Facilitate communication among the people involved in the case. Getting to know everyone involved in the child’s life is very important to understanding the facts and learning about the child’s life.
  • Provide written reports at every hearing which include findings and recommendations. The report documents the extent of the volunteer’s investigation, lists each source of information and includes sufficient facts to justify the recommendations.
  • Appear at all hearings to advocate for the child’s best interest and provide testimony when necessary.
  • Explain the court proceedings and the role of the CASA volunteer to the child in terms the child can understand.
  • Make recommendations for specific, appropriate services for the child and the child’s family and advocate for necessary services which may not be immediately available.
  • Monitor implementation of case plans and court orders, checking to see that the court ordered services are implemented Monitor court ordered services to making sure that the services ordered are actually provided and that the court is informed of any new developments.
  • Inform the court promptly of important developments in the child’s case to ensure appropriate actions can be taken to address any challenges.
  • Advocate for the child’s interests in the community by bringing concerns regarding the child’s health, education and mental health, etc. to the appropriate professionals to ensure that the child’s needs in these areas are met.

Interested in becoming a CASA?

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