The Child Advocate concept was born out of the concern of a Judge who was making decisions about the future of abused and neglected children.  His concern was that he didn't have all the facts nor all the information necessary to determine what was truly best for those children.  At the heart of his solution was the volunteer,an ordinary citizen who would be trained and given the tools to make an informed recommendation to the court as to what was in the best interest of the child.

 The Cass County Child Advocates is an organization of screened and trained volunteers.  It is a member of the National CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Association. The child advocate or CASA volunteer is appointed by the court to a child s case and is an officer of the court.  The volunteer is responsible for taking the time to find out as much as possible about the child.  They search for information and review records.  They interview parents, talk to teachers, social workers, health providers, neighbors, and most importantly spend time with the child.  The volunteer does not provide legal representation that is the role of an attorney.  As an independent, objective observer, and based upon the information, the volunteer submits a report to the court and recommends what is best for the child s future.  The volunteer will appear in court and attend hearings regarding the child s case.  

Child Advocates are highly effective in advocating for abused and neglected children.  In fact, a recent national survey reveals that judges believe the work of CASA volunteers is high quality, beneficial to judicial decision-making, and valuable to the children and families served.  (For more information, see www.nationalcasa.org).  Unfortunately, the courts are seeing an increasing number of children in abuse and neglect cases, and more volunteers are needed.  In Indiana, the law was recently changed to say that EVERY child (not just children in certain cases) should have a CASA to speak for them. There is a critical need for volunteers so that no child goes without an advocate to guide them through the most difficult time in their young lives.