Each listing in the catalog of court-related volunteer programs includes a brief program description and information about whom to contact for further information plus summary data on budget and funding sources, number and source of volunteers, and type of court served. Following are brief descriptions of four representative programs. CASA programs are designed to assist the courts and help safeguard the welfare of children who have been found in need of protection and services. CASA programs use volunteers to monitor the living conditions of neglected or abused children and ensure that court orders are followed. With closer supervision, these children are able to continue living in their own homes, eliminating the need for foster care in some circumstances.
CASA volunteers are trained advocates for children who are involved in the court system.
They are required to make a one-year commitment, working between 10 to 15 hours each month. Being a CASA volunteer is a big commitment, but Dane County CASA director Marsha Varvil-Weld told a Portage Daily Register reporter there is no shortage of volunteers. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Sarah B. O Brien credits CASA programs for building judges trust in using volunteers in the courts. They have proven their worth. Teen Courts Teen court programs come in many forms.