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"There was once a tree full of apples which was my family. Then one day I fell off. Some grownups came and put me in a pear tree. Then I fell off…" (Lawry 11) The words of an eleven year old in foster care show the uncertainty and loss of children who are taken from their homes and families because of abuse and neglect. Many children get stuck in "the system" moving back and forth from foster home to foster home or to group homes and shelters. Sometimes they are sent home to their biological families just to return to foster care. CASA volunteers work with attorneys, judges, and social workers to ensure children have safe homes to grow up in.

CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, is a national organization that was started in 177 by a judge in Seattle, Washington. "When you're involved with a child and you're trying to decide what to do to facilitate that child's growth into a mature and happy adult, you feel like you don't have sufficient information to allow you to make the right decision" (CASA). Superior Court Judge David Soukup realized that he needed more objective information for him to make his decision on each case. He came up with an idea that changed the courtroom procedures. He obtained funding and began to train community volunteers to investigate each case and speak up for the rights of children in the courtroom. In the first year he trained one hundred and ten CASA volunteers. The program was successful and soon judges across the country began training their own volunteers.

In 178, CASA received a grant from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation of New York City and the CASA program was implemented in courts across the country, and in 18 the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association was formed. Funding began coming from many other sources as well a grant from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation. Today, the National CASA Association supports over 00 Casa programs across the country. They provide technical assistance, fundraising and training to the local programs. They also sponsor a national conference and publish newsletters.

CASA volunteers do not have special legal training, but they go through a forty hour training program to learn about courtroom procedure, advocacy, and topics such as child development and sexual abuse. They also learn about substance abuse, domestic violence, foster care and juvenile laws. To be a CASA volunteer, one must be at least twenty-one years old, complete an in-depth interview, pass a criminal background check and complete the required training. CASA volunteers do not need to have had any previous legal experience. CASA volunteers may come from all walks of life, but they all have one trait in common. They are willing to make the time commitment and have a desire to make a difference in a child's life.

A CASA volunteer usually spends 10-0 hours a month on each child's case. They look into the circumstances of each child by interviewing the biological parents, family members, foster parents, teachers, social workers, health care professionals and anyone else who may have pertinent information. All of the information that they obtain is kept confidential. They prepare a report before the court hearing, and at the hearing this report is presented to the judge and attorneys involved in the case. CASA's goal is to obtain a permanent placement for children as quickly as possible. In one case a medically fragile child was born to a young alcoholic mother, who was not prepared to take care of the child. CASA dicussed the options with the mother and she came to the conclusion that she should give up her child for adoption. The baby was then able to be placed for adoption without the state getting involved. This decision avoided a lengthy court hearing (CASA).

In Georgia there are over 14,000 children involved juvenile and foster care system. Most of these children, who are victims of abuse and neglect, are taken from there homes and placed in the foster care system. CASA believes these children should have safe, permanent homes where all their needs are being met, but many are not. CASA steps in and advocates for these children. CASA serves as the eyes and ears of the court and are an independent source of information for the judge. The CASA volunteer stays involved in the case until there is a permanent solution for the child (CASA).

The Hall-Dawson CASA program began in 18. "CASA volunteers are ordinary citizens with extraordinary hearts." Connie Stephens, who was one of the first volunteers, is now the Executive Director. Hall-Dawson CASA is funded by National CASA, churches, community organizations, as well as individual contributions. They also have a Memorial/Honorarium Gift program. With this program, when a contribution is made, cards are sent to the one being honored or to the families of the one being remembered. Since 18 volunteers have served over 1400 children who were victims of abuse or neglect. In 00, CASA served 48 children, of which, 167 involved new children receiving services. Sixty-one percent of these children suffered from neglect, twenty-nine percent were physically abused, three percent were sexually abused, seven percent were abandoned. 187 children's cases were closed last year (CASA).

In one case two teenage girls were taken from there mother because of neglect. The mother suffered from severe depression and the father had not been involved in the girls life since they were very young. The girls also suffered from depression and had many emotional problems. The younger of the two had been sexually abused. The two girls were placed together in a foster home, but were moved shortly after. The older girl was placed in a emergency shelter, while the younger one was placed in another foster home. This placement also only lasted a short time and she was moved again. . She did very well in this foster home and CASA began to advocate for the girls to be placed together. When there was room in the foster home Nicole joined her sister. In the meantime, the paternal grandmother showed interest in the girls coming to live with her, but because she lived in another state, getting her home approved was a along drawn-out process. In the six months that it took for the approval, Nicole and Lynn became attached to their foster parents, but they were also excited about the prospect of going to live with their Grandmother. They moved in with their Grandmother, who after one week, decided she couldn't keep the girls because of their emotional problems. They were returned to Hall County DFCS and now needed another placement. Nicole and Lynn desired to be returned to their previous foster parents, who also wanted them to come back. But for some reason DFCS would not place them with the foster parents and had them both placed in an emergency shelter. CASA advocated for Nicole and Lynn to be placed back with the foster parents who loved them. After about three months they returned to the foster parents and their mother relinquished her rights so that the foster parents could adopt them. Since the adoption Nicole and Lynn have been doing very well (Nolley).

A CASA volunteer may be the one consistent person in a child's life. As children enter foster care they may be moved from home to home, and have many caseworkers, foster parents and schools. The CASA volunteer stays with the child until a permanent placement is found. CASA volunteers make a difference in the lives of abused children.

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