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 151 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
Winter 2020: January 27 – February 26
Spring 2020: April 1 – May 4
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.
1529 Waring Rd.
Dalton, GA 30720
Tracy Harmon
706-428-7931
Facebook
Trainings
Mondays from February 3 – April 6
5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Fridays from April 24 – June 26
12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Children First, Inc.
693 N. Pope St.
Athens, GA 30656
Emily Dant
706-613-1922 x4
Website
Training (Combo of Traditional & Flex)
Thursdays from January 23 – March 5
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. OR 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
Spring: Tuesdays and Fridays from March 24 – April 21 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
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.
Outreach Center
515 Denmark St., Suite 1200
Statesboro, GA 30458
Meredith Seides
912-764-4849
Website
Training
January 13 – March 16 (days and times TBA)
Note: In addition to training in Bulloch County, trainings may also be held in other counties served if there is enough interest (Screven, Jenkins, & Effingham)
Gregory A. Adams Juvenile Justice Center
4309 Memorial Dr.
Decatur, GA 30032
Justine Ferreira (for orientation)
Tara Daniels (for training)
404-292-8291
Website
Orientation
Tuesday, March 24 from 6:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.
Wednesday, March 25 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Flex Training
Thursdays on March 12, 19 and 26, April 9 and 16 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
206 Carl Vinson Pkwy.
Warner Robins, GA 31088
Rieka Audain
478-396-2185
Website
Traditional/Classroom Training
Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays from February 24 – March 24 from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
The Little House
603 Washington St. SW
Gainesville, GA 30501
halldawsoncasa@halldawsoncasa.org
770-531-1964
Website
Traditional/Classroom Training
May 23, 30, June 6, 13, 16, & 18 on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday for 1-2 hours
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
Fulton County CASA
Romae T. Powell Juvenile Justice Center
395 Pryor St. SW
Atlanta, GA 30312
Elizabeth Witherspoon
elizabeth.witherspoon@fultoncountycasa.org
404-613-4720
Website
Flex Trainings
February 11 – March 17 (Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.)
March 12 – April 16 (Thursdays, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.)
163 MLK Jr. Dr.
Winder, GA 30680
Michelle Black
mblack@piedmontcasa.org
470-429-5055
Website
Volunteer Orientation & Training
Winter 2020: Thursdays, January 23 – February 27, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Spring 2020: Thursdays, May 7 – June 18, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Rockdale CASA
999 Green St. SE
Conyers, GA 30012
Michele Benton
770-761-0202
Website
Traditional/Classroom Training
January 9 – February 27
Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Chattahoochee CASA
1225 Third Ave.
Columbus, GA
Anna Cannon
706-327-9612 x1506
Website
Traditional/Classroom Training
March 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, April 2, & 6
May 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 28, June 1, 4, & 8
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.
Juvenile Court of Cobb County
32 Waddell St.
Marietta, GA 30090
Elissa Peters
770-528-2216
Website
Traditional/Classroom Training
Wednesdays and Saturdays from February 5 – March 4
Wednesdays from 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tifton, GA 31794
Darcie Norton
229-386-9765
Website
Flex Training
Mondays from March 9 – April 27 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Major Events
March 2020
March 24, 2020
Our annual signature Luncheon & Fashion Show fundraiser event, CASA on the Catwalk, will take place. The Preview Party to the event will take place on February 25. Click here to go to the event web page for details and to purchase tickets.
August 2020
August 8, 2020
Save the date for our annual Georgia CASA Conference at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center.