What is Child Advocates?
Child Advocates is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to improving the lives of abused and neglected children in a four county area around Wichita Falls, Texas. Child Advocates recruits, trains, and supervises volunteers who are appointed to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Child Advocates is part of a nationwide organization of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) with 937 programs and 52,000 volunteers.
What does CASA stand for?
Court Appointed Special Advocate
How does Child Advocates get involved in a child's life?
Child Advocates is routinely appointed to serve as the CASA in all cases in which a child is removed from their home because of abuse and/or neglect.
Why do we have CASAs?
No public agency is mandated by law to provide impartial representation for children who are removed from their homes as a result of abuse or neglect. Child Protective Services is required to safeguard children, but is often limited by financial constraints, overworked personnel, or the lack of foster placements, and ultimately a child's best interests may not be protected. Attorneys appointed to represent the child are ethically bound to represent what the child wants
(if four years or older), as opposed to what is in the child's best interest. The gap is filled by a CASA who makes educated recomendations for a final placement that is in the child's best interests.
Which children are assigned CASAs?
Children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Our goal is to provide a CASA to every child who needs one.
Where are children served?
Cases originate in Archer, Clay, Montague, and Wichita counties, but the children may be placed outside of these counties.
Where can volunteers reside?
Anywhere close to Archer, Clay, Montague, or Wichita Counties. For instance, residents of Oklahoma that work in the four county service area would be eligible.
What is the role of a CASA?
The role of the CASA is to:
- Provide the judge with a carefully researched background of the child;
- Evaluate the information gathered from various sources and make recommendations about the child's future;
- Speak up for the child's best interests in court and in the Child Protective Services system;
- Continue to act as a “watchdog” for the child during the life of the case, ensuring that the child’s needs are met and the case is resolved swiftly and appropriately.
What does a CASA volunteer do?
CASA volunteers help safeguard the best interests of children who are in state custody because of abuse or neglect by:
- Interviewing the child, parents, family members, school officials, health providers and others who know the child’s history;
- Reviewing all records concerning the case, including school, medical, psychological, and caseworker reports;
- Making written reports to the court, testifying at hearings, and attending planning meetings outside of court with the other professionals involved.
How does a CASA differ from an attorney?
The CASA does not provide legal representation in the courtroom; that is the role of the attorney. A CASA, however, speaks specifically to what is in the best interest of the child, as opposed to what a child may want. CASAs provide crucial background information that assists attorneys in presenting their cases.
How does a CASA relate to the child?
CASAs explain to the child the events that are happening, why they are in foster care, and the roles the judge, attorneys and caseworkers play. CASAs typically visit weekly with the children they represent. This one-on-one contact helps the CASA to assess the child's needs. The CASA may play with the child or have a meal to begin developing a relationship.
CASAs offer the children what no one else can: consistency and continuity in the midst of all the chaos the children are experiencing. In the course of a typical case, the child will experience several foster placements, new schools, caseworker turnover and ONE CASA. The trust that is built allows the CASA to encourage the children to express their feelings and to feel safe. All the while the CASAs remain objective observers.
What kinds of people serve as CASA volunteers?
People just like you. Being a CASA volunteer requires no specialized degrees or legal experience. It does require special people over the age of 21 who have:
- A concern for children;
- A genuine desire to help;
- The ability to remain objective;
- The maturity to deal with emotional situations;
- The commitment to complete a 30 hour training course;
- Sensitivity to people who are different from themselves;
- Access to transportation and a flexible schedule; and
- A willingness to devote approximately one year to complete an assigned case.
What are the qualifications to be a volunteer?
All volunteers must:
- Be 21 years of age
- Have a clean criminal history
- Have a clean history on the child abuse registry
- Be willing to commit to work on a child’s case for at least a year
- Be able to personally examine a client’s problems without the situation affecting your judgment
Do I need to have some legal training or a college degree? What training is required?
NO! Volunteers from all walks of life become CASAs. After you have been accepted into the CASA program, Child Advocates will provide you with 30 hours of training to prepare you for your role as a volunteer.
Will I be required to complete any training after I complete the initial 30 hour training?
After you are sworn in as a CASA, you are required to complete a minimum of 12 hours of training each year to keep up with our ever changing world. Child Advocates provides opportunities monthly for continued training and also alerts volunteers of opportunities in the community and online.
Do I have to be employed to serve as a volunteer?
NO! Stay-at-home parents, retired persons, self-employed business owners, and persons not currently working make great volunteers.
Do I have to be retired or self-employed to serve as a volunteer?
NO! A lot of volunteers work 8-to-5 jobs, and simply arrange to spend time on their cases when they are not working. Most volunteers make efficient use of the telephone, email, lunch breaks, weekends, and time after work to deal with inflexible work hours at their jobs. If your work hours are especially rigid, you may find it difficult to be a CASA.
How much time does it really take to be a CASA?
Each case is different, of course; but most cases require going to court 2 or 3 times during each six-month period to present a report with recommendations to the judge. More time is spent on a case when it is first assigned, as this is the more intensive fact-finding stage. Most volunteers typically spend 5 to 15 hours a month, including travel time and phone calls.
Are there any other agencies or groups that provide the same service?
No. There are other child advocacy organizations, but Child Advocates is the only program where volunteers are appointed by the court to represent a child’s best interests.
For more information:
Call (940) 766-0552, or come by our office at 808 Austin, Wichita Falls, Texas 76301.
