Frequently Asked Questions

A CASA volunteer provides a judge with a carefully researched background of the child to help the court make sound decisions about the child’s future. Each case is as unique as the child or children involved.  The CASA volunteer must determine if it is in a child’s best interest to stay with his or her parents or guardians, be placed in foster or relative care, or be freed for permanent adoption. The CASA volunteer recommends placement and services to the judge so that every child can have a safe, permanent home and the opportunity to thrive.

In fulfilling this child-centered role, the CASA volunteer performs three separate functions:

• An INVESTIGATOR whose task is to uncover all relevant facts and report them to the court;
• An ADVOCATE for the best interest of the child in the courtroom and the child welfare and social services systems, identifying resources and services in the child’s best interest; and
• A MONITOR who ensures that court orders are being followed and all services are provided promptly and who brings to the court’s attention any new developments, changes, or concerns.

To prepare a recommendation, the CASA volunteer talks with the child, parents, family members, caseworkers, school personnel, health providers, and others knowledgeable about the child’s history.

Caseworkers may work on as many as 10 to 15 cases at a time, which can limit the amount of time available for a comprehensive investigation of each. The CASA is a volunteer who handles only one or two cases at a time. As an independent court appointee and a party to the case, the CASA volunteer thoroughly examines a child’s case, has knowledge of community resources, and is required to make recommendations to the court based on the child’s best interests. Unlike the caseworker, who has a legal mandate to try to reunify families, the CASA volunteer’s mandate is to advocate for the child’s best interests. A trained CASA/GAL volunteer and a skilled caseworker are critical to a successful case.

The CASA volunteer does not provide legal representation; that is the attorney’s role. Instead, the CASA volunteer advocates for the best interests of the child. The CASA volunteer provides crucial background information and logical, fact-based recommendations that assist the court in making sound decisions for the child.

CASA volunteers come from all walks of life, with a variety of professional, educational, and ethnic backgrounds. Diversity is valued and provides a foundation of strength to our program. The Lucas County CASA program is composed of volunteers of all genders over 21 years of age who may be employed full-time or part-time, be retired, be a volunteer attorney, or be a homemaker.

CASA volunteers are ordinary citizens, 21 years of age or older. No special or legal background is required. However, volunteers are screened closely for objectivity, competence, and commitment.

The number varies, but usually, each CASA volunteer carries one or two cases at a time. The National CASA Association suggests volunteers carry no more than two cases at any time. CASA volunteers are not assigned but are asked to take a case. CASA volunteers always have the right to turn down a case request.

Prospective CASA/GAL volunteers undergo a thorough one-time, 40-hour training. The training includes self-guided learning over the Internet and an evening class each week for six weeks. CASA volunteers learn effective advocacy and investigation techniques and how to write a report to the Court.  They are additionally educated about specific topics ranging from child abuse and neglect to domestic violence, parental substance abuse, the law, and courtroom procedure. The training curriculum also includes information about poverty, cultural awareness, and sensitivity. The training is highly interactive and includes case studies to enable the development of skills. The culmination of the initial training is the swearing-in ceremony with the Juvenile Court Judges, where CASA/GAL volunteers become sworn officers of the Court.

CASA volunteers interview the children they represent if the children are old enough to talk. If not, the CASA volunteer observes the baby’s interactions with the various people involved in the baby’s life. The CASA volunteer offers the child a trust-based relationship and advocacy within and outside the courtroom. The CASA volunteer explains to the child the events that are happening and the roles the judge, lawyers, caseworkers, and others play. The CASA volunteer also encourages the child to express his or her opinions, fears, and hopes and conveys those to the court. In addition, the VOICES initiative invites children ages 10 and older to participate in court hearings affecting them.

Each case is different. A CASA volunteer spends a minimum of 20-30 hours doing research, conducting interviews, and writing a court report during the first 4-6 weeks of a new case. Once the CASA volunteer writes the initial report and appears at the first hearing, the CASA volunteer can expect to spend about 2-4 hours per month on a case.

The CASA volunteer continues on the case until the case is permanently resolved.  Each volunteer is asked to make an initial two-year commitment to the program. One of the primary benefits of the CASA program is that, unlike other case principals who often rotate cases, the volunteer is a consistent figure in the court proceedings and the child’s life. The CASA volunteer provides much-needed continuity for the system and, more importantly, for the child.

No. Other child advocacy organizations exist, but CASA is the only program in which volunteers are appointed as officers of the court, by the judge, to represent a child’s best interest.

Children who are victims of abuse and/or neglect, and for whom cases have been filed in the Juvenile Court, are assigned a CASA/GAL volunteer. The Domestic Relations Court also appoints GAL for children in divorce proceedings, but they are not trained CASA volunteers.

In 1979 Juvenile Judge Andy Devine heard a presentation by Carmen Ray, the Director of the first CASA program in Seattle, Washington. Judge Devine asked the Junior League of Toledo to investigate the possibility of establishing a program in Lucas County.  After four months of research, the Junior League began the CASA program with the first training in November 1980.  There were 20 volunteers in the first class. Since that time, the Lucas County Juvenile Court CASA/GAL program has continuously served our community with about 200 CASA volunteers today.

The CASA program is a department of the Lucas County Juvenile Court. As such, it is funded by the LCJC budget, the Lucas County commissioners, and ultimately, your tax dollars.  There is also a CASA Advisory Board non-profit corporation that has a tax-exempt status to enable the program to accept grants and donations to enhance volunteer efforts. The Lucas County CASA department and its volunteers are directed by Judy Leb, J.D., and a staff of eight.

There are CASA programs in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide more than 85,000 citizens serve as CASA volunteers in nearly 950 programs. More than 440,000 children are in foster care on any given day. Every year about 250,000 abused and neglected children are served by CASA volunteers.

• Children with a CASA volunteer are half as likely to spend time in long-term foster care, defined as more than three years in care.
• Cases involving a CASA volunteer are more likely to be permanently closed. Fewer than 10% of children with a CASA volunteer reenter the foster care system.
• CASA volunteers spend most of their volunteer time in contact with a child. They generally handle just one or two cases at a time so that they can give each child the sustained, personal attention he or she deserves. To a child, that means a consistent and caring adult presence in his or her life.
• CASA advocacy saves taxpayer dollars.(Source: Caliber Association, NCA Evaluation Project, Fairfax, VA 2004)

Yes.  Juvenile and family court judges implement the CASA program in their courtrooms and appoint CASA volunteers.  The CASA program has been endorsed by the American Bar Association, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators.  The CASA program is a major project of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and Kiwanis.

Yes. The CASA program is a priority project of the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the State of Ohio Attorney General’s Office.  These offices encourage the establishment of new CASA programs, assist established CASA programs, and provide partial funding for the National CASA/GAL Association, of which Lucas County CASA is a member.

Both the Ohio CASA and National CASA/GAL Associations are non-profit organizations that represent and serve local CASA programs. They provide training, technical assistance, research, legislative awareness, news, and public awareness services to Ohio and nationwide CASA programs, respectively.