Get Involved
Help improve the lives of children in foster care in your community by getting involved with CASA.
Become a CASA Volunteer
CASA volunteers are everyday people from all walks of life who do exceptional work. They are trained to advocate for the well-being of Georgia’s children experiencing foster care and are appointed by the court to amplify a child’s voice. That’s their sole purpose.
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.
Our volunteers answer your questions
To get a real-world view of volunteering with CASA, check out our Ask A CASA videos. Our volunteers respond to frequently asked questions in their own words, based on their personal experiences as CASA volunteers.
Still have questions?
Find a Program
Georgia CASA currently supports 46 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.
Clayton County Youth Development & Justice Center
9163 Tara Blvd.
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Griffin Shirley
678-610-1061
Website
Training
Summer 2020: June 8 – July 13
Fall 2020: September 9 – October 14
Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. OR 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Family Support Council
1529 Waring Rd.
Dalton, GA 30720
Tracy Harmon
706-428-7931
Facebook
Training
Mondays beginning June 15
5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Gilmer County Courthouse
1 Broad St., Suite 201
Ellijay, GA 30540
Destiny Morgan
706-276-2272
Website
Trainings
Summer: Tuesdays and Fridays from August 25 – September 22 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Fall: Tuesdays and Fridays from October 20 – November 17 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
The Little House
603 Washington St. SW
Gainesville, GA 30501
halldawsoncasa@halldawsoncasa.org
770-531-1964
Website
Traditional/Classroom Training
August 18 – September 17 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Flex Training
October 1 – November 17 on Tuesdays from 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. with swearing-in on November 18
CASA of Forsyth County
3250 Keith Bridge Rd.
Cumming, GA 30014
Heidi Grimmett
770-876-9016
Website
Flex Training
Thursdays from October 29 – December 17 (except Thanksgiving)
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Thursdays from February 18 – April 1, 2021
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Piedmont CASA
The Wimberly Center
163 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Winder, GA 30680
Brittany Gee
470-429-5055
Website
Orientation & Training
Thursdays from August 27 – October 1
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Chattahoochee CASA
1225 Third Ave.
Columbus, GA
Anna Cannon
706-327-9612 x1506
Website
Traditional/Classroom Training
July 9, 15, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30, August 3, & 6
August 31, Sept 3, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, & October 1
October 22, 26, 29, November 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, & 19
5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Michele Benton
770-761-0202
Website
Flex Training (Virtual)
June 11 – July 16
404-859-7174
Website
Flex Training (Virtual)
Wednesdays from July 15 – August 12
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Tuesdays from September 15 – October 13
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Thursdays from October 8 – November 5
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturdays from October 10 – November 17
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Saturdays from January 23 – February 20 (except January 16)
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Thursdays from February 18 – March 18
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Saturdays from March 20 – April 24 (except April 4)
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.m
Tuesdays from April 13 – May 11
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Saturdays from May 15 – June 19 (except May 29)
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
3888 Northside Dr., Suite B
Macon, GA 31210
Megan Anderson
770-355-3712
Website
Flex Training (Online & Classroom – or choose to meet via Zoom instead of Classroom)
Thursdays from August 20 – September 24
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Major Events
Summer 2020
Summer 2020
Our Luncheon & Fashion Show fundraiser event, CASA on the Catwalk, that was scheduled for March 2020, has been cancelled. In its place, a virtual appreciation experience showcasing the impact of CASA volunteers will be held and will include opportunities to bid on specially-curated packages, available for online auction. The auction will be open to anyone and accessible for two weeks (dates TBA).
August 2020
August 2020
The 2020 Georgia CASA Conference will now be offered virtually in August (exact dates TBA)! Information regarding registration will be posted in the near future.