Get Involved
Help improve the lives of children in foster care in your community by getting involved with CASA.
What does a CASA volunteer do?
CASA volunteers serve as the eyes and ears of the court. They:
- Establish a stable, one-on-one relationship with a child in foster care and get to know the child’s unique history
- Gather information from anyone who can shed light on the child’s situation – teachers, foster parents, family members, physicians, etc.
- Help the child plan and develop age appropriate goals
- Ensure the child has access to needed medical, education, career, and housing services
Attend court proceedings (usually every six months) and make an informed, independent recommendation to the judge to improve the child’s experience while in foster care and his/her overall well-being
- Bring a sense of urgency to the child’s needs and promote safety
- Advocate for timeliness and permanency for children involved in juvenile court proceedings
Remain involved until the case is permanently resolved to keep the focus on the child
Learn more about a CASA volunteer’s role and purpose
Check out this brief video about becoming a CASA volunteer
Check out some frequently asked questions
“Children are in need of dreams; children entering juvenile court have no dreams or hope for the future. CASA gives them that hope and helps them to understand that what has happened to them is not their fault; they are not defective or substandard. CASA volunteers are there to help a child rise above it all.”
Five Steps to Make a Difference
The actions of a single person — a CASA volunteer — can mean everything to a child in foster care. A child with a CASA is more likely to receive needed services and be placed in a safe, permanent home when reunification isn’t likely. CASA volunteers make a difference every day. You can, too. Become a volunteer.
FAQ’s
No. CASA volunteers are everyday citizens from all walks of life who care about children and their welfare. Your common sense, life experience, and desire to help is all you need to begin. You will be receiving special training and supervision to ensure you have a complete understanding of your role before you are assigned a case.
Once children and youth are taken into DFCS (Department of Family and Children Services) custody, their cases are overseen by judges in the juvenile courts who appoint CASA volunteers to focus on the child and provide recommendations to improve a child’s experience while in foster care, as well as the child’s overall well-being.
Social workers are employed by the state and often assigned many cases at a time. The social worker is responsible for helping an entire family, which includes setting up individual services for family members. A CASA volunteer is the advocate for the child, is not paid, works with only a few cases at a time, and does not set up services. The CASA volunteer does not replace the social worker on a case; he or she is an independent officer of the court and works within the child welfare system to improve children’s experiences while in foster care.
CASA volunteers are only appointed to children who have come to the attention of the juvenile court system due to abuse or neglect. Like a mentoring program, the CASA volunteer does develop a relationship with the child through frequent contact; however, the primary role of the CASA volunteer is to gather information about the child, write reports to the court, and attend court hearings. The CASA program is not a mentoring program.
Find a Program
Georgia CASA currently supports 44 affiliate programs serving 156 counties. To find a program near you, use our Program Directory to search by county or name of the program.
Develop an Affiliate Program
If your county is not being served, learn how you can support developing a CASA program to help the abused and neglected children in your community.
Program Training
A schedule of upcoming Volunteer Training sessions appears below for affiliate CASA programs that have requested to be listed. If you don’t see a particular program listed, please contact the program directly.
101 Commerce Pl., Suite 3
Barnesville, GA 30204
Danita Crawford
770-289-5017
Classroom Training
Mondays from September 12 – October 31
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Training also includes court observation dates selected by the attendees.
Children First, Inc.
693 N. Pope St.
Athens, GA 30601
Arden Bakarich
Website
706-613-1922
Flex Training (in-person & online)
Thursdays from August 15 – October 13
10 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. OR 5:30 – 9:15 p.m.
Location TBD
Rachel Sanders
770-528-1095
Trainings
Wednesdays and Fridays from July 22 – August 17
1 – 4:30 p.m.
Tuesdays and Thursdays from August 30 – September 27
4 – 7:30 p.m.
Website
706-327-9612 ext. 1506
Online Training
Thursdays from July 14 – August 18
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
CASA of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit
1015 Exum St.
Nashville, GA 31639
Carol Kelly
229-630-5155
Orientation
Tuesday, August 20 at 6 p.m.
Classroom Training
Tuesdays from September 6 – October 25
6 p.m.
9163 Tara Blvd.
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Meredith Smith
678-610-1061
Website
Classroom Trainings
Tuesdays and Thursdays
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. OR 6 – 9 p.m.
Fall 2022: September 13 – October 13
Winter 2023: January 10 – February 9
Spring 2023: April 11 – May 11
Summer 2023: July 11 – August 10
Major Events
August 2022
The Georgia CASA Conference will be held on Saturday, August 13th at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center. Visit the event website for details, including the registration link.