It is important to remember that CASA volunteers do not represent a child's wishes in court. Rather, they tell the court what the child s wishes are, and then they exercise their own independent judgement to determine whether those wishes are actually in the best interest of the child. CASA volunteers come from all walks of life, with a variety of educational and ethnic backgrounds. There are more than 52,000 CASA volunteers nationally. Local programs vary in number of volunteers they utilize.
CASA volunteers offer children trust and advocacy during complex legal proceedings.
They explain to the child the events that are happening, the reasons they all are in court, and the roles the judge, lawyers, and social workers play. CASA volunteers also encourage the child to express his or her own opinion and hopes, while remaining objective observers. The number varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but an average caseload is one to two. Juvenile and family court judges implement the CASA program in their courtrooms and appoint volunteers. CASA has been endorsed by the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice.