• Print application to become a CASA volunteer!    
• Forms for current volunteers 
• Call 653-4673 about Court Appointed Special Advocate training.
  
• Saturdays, 9am-3pm:  August 7, 14, and 21st OR
• Monday thru Thursdays, 5:30-9:00pm:  September 13-16th & Sept 20-23rd 
  

CASA began serving children in the Concho Valley as the direct result of the death of a local child by physical abuse.  The original founders were a group of people who organized in November of 1986.  They called themselves PACA, Parents Against Child Abuse.  The group became formally incorporated as CASA of the Tom Green County on March 26, 1987.  

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) joined the Children's Advocacy Center in 1998.  The program's mission is to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children whose futures are being decided by a court of law.  Volunteers embody the spirit of the CASA program.  CASA's goal is to provide each child a safe, permanent and nurturing home, and quality volunteer representation is crucial to meeting that goal. Since the inception of the program in 1987, Court Appointed Special Advocates have spoken on behalf of more than 2200 children.  In 2007, CASA served over 300 children, and there will be more...

CASA volunteers are ordinary people who are trained in a 30 hour court-approved program. The District Judge appoints volunteers to serve children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect.  They conduct thorough research on the background of the case, review documents, and interview everyone involved, including the child.  With this information, they can then make an informed recommendation to the judge in the form of a written report. We ask that our volunteers make a 12 to 18 month committment in order to see the case through. 

In the life of a case, a CASA volunteer monitors the child's situation to make sure he or she remains safe.  The CASA is instrumental in ensuring that a child or family receives services the court has ordered----counseling, substance abuse treatment or special medical or educational needs.  The CASA will represent the best interests of the children they serve; this may not always be what the child wants.  Ultimately, the CASA must remain objective in their recommendations.

• advocating for their best interest in the courtroom
• helping to create educational plans for success
• accessing appropriate medical/dental care
• finding a safe, permanent home
• providing an understanding of what is happening in court and moving forward
• provision of a consistent, stable, healthy adult in their life
  
  
  What are the duties and responsibilities of a CASA?
  

• Visit, at least monthly, with the child/children to which you are assigned.  Please note that many children reside outside of San Angelo.
• Read the records and files of the court, Child Protective Services, school, hospital, etc., regarding the child for whom you are advocating. 
• Interview, research, and evaluate facts and circumstances of the child's life from your investigation and to make independent recommendations to the court
• Report any incidents of child abuse and/or neglect.
  
  
  NOTE:  To ensure the safety of the children we serve and that of our volunteers, The Children's Advocacy Center of Tom Green County, Inc. will perform a felony, sex offender and CPS background check on all individuals who sign up to volunteer for any of our activities or events that will be attended by the children we serve.