Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 43 - PUBLIC WELFARE (§§ 43-1-1 — 43-NEW01-012) › Chapter NEW01 - [COURT-APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE (CASA) › Section 43-NEW01-002 - [Newly enacted section not yet numbered] [Repealed effective 7/1/2027] [Authority to establish a court-appointed special advocate (CASA)

(1)
For the purpose of providing an independent, efficient and thorough representation for children who enter the court system as a result of dependency, abuse or neglect, there may be established a court-appointed special advocate program by the judge of the youth court or, if none, the senior chancellor in the county in which the program is established.
(2)
A local CASA program must be governed by a local board of directors. For new CASA programs, the initial board must be appointed by the judge of the youth court or, if none, the senior chancellor. Thereafter, members must be selected by the existing board members. Each board must include at least seven (7) members. Each board member must have a demonstrated interest in child welfare issues and commitment to the purpose and role of the court-appointed special advocate volunteers. Employees of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services are not eligible to serve as officers on the board. As far as practicable, members must be representative of the racial and ethnic composition of the area served by the CASA program. The following are the powers and duties of the board:
(a)
Determine major personnel, organization, fiscal, and program policies including, but not limited to, the following:
(i)
Measures to be taken to safeguard the CASA program's information relating to children, their families and the CASA volunteers;
(ii)
The procedures for the recruitment, screening, training and supervision of CASA volunteers; and
(iii)
The procedure for and circumstances warranting dismissal of a CASA volunteer from the CASA program;
(b)
Determine overall plans and priorities for the CASA program, including provisions for evaluating progress against performance;
(c)
Approve the program budget;
(d)
Enforce compliance with all conditions of all grants contracts;
(e)
Determine rules and procedures for the governing board;
(f)
Select the officers and the executive committee, if any, of the governing board;
(g)
Meet at least four (4) times each year;
(h)
Submit an annual report to the association in the uniform manner required, which must include, but need not be limited to, the following information:
(i)
Number of CASA volunteers in the program;
(ii)
Number of program staff;
(iii)
Number of children served;
(iv)
Number of volunteers receiving initial training;
(v)
Number of and topics for in-service training;
(vi)
The type of source of the funds received and the amount received from each type of source during the previous fiscal year;
(vii)
The expenditures during the previous year; and
(viii)
Other information as deemed appropriate.
(3)
Local CASA programs shall comply with the National CASA Association and Mississippi CASA Association Standards for Programs. Local programs shall ensure that CASA volunteers are supervised adequately by providing at least one (1) supervisory staff person for every thirty (30) CASA volunteers who have been appointed by the court and assigned by the program director. Each local CASA program must be managed by a qualified director whose service may be voluntary or who may be paid a salary. The program director's duties include:
(a)
Administration of the CASA program, as directed by the local and state boards;
(b)
Recruitment, screening, training and supervision of CASA volunteers and other program staff;
(c)
Facilitation of the performance of the court-appointed special advocates' duties; and
(d)
Ensuring that the security measures established by the local and state boards for safeguarding the information relating to children, their families and the CASA volunteers are maintained.
(4)
As far as practicable, CASA volunteers must be representative of the socioeconomic, racial and ethnic composition of the area served.
(5)
CASA volunteers may be removed by the court for nonparticipation or other cause or by the program director pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.
(6)
Employees of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services may not become volunteers or employees of the court appointed special advocate program.
(7)
All written court-appointed special advocate reports submitted pursuant to Section 7 of this act must become part of the court records of the child.
(8)
Each CASA volunteer, program director and other program staff must take an oath, administered by a judge of the court, to keep confidential all information related to the appointed case except in conferring with or reports to the court, parties to the case, the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services, others designated by the court, and as provided by law.
(9)
CASA volunteers must be appointed by the presiding judge to represent the best interest of the child, subject to judicial discretion, and only after confirmation from the program director that the CASA volunteer has been screened properly and trained.
Added by Laws, 2024, ch. 525, HB 1624,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2024.