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.
Family Support Council
1529 Waring Rd.
Dalton, GA 30721
Tracy Harmon
706-428-7931
Facebook
Training
Mondays from September 14 – November 19
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
Training
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
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.
Stephanie Cater
770-838-1964
Website
Virtual Training (via Zoom)
Mondays and Thursdays from October 5 – November 2
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Doris Devey
404-966-5180
Website
Virtual Training (via Zoom)
Mondays September 28 – November 2
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Macon, GA 31210
Megan Anderson
770-355-3712
Website
Virtual Training (via Zoom)
Mondays starting October 12
5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Chattahoochee CASA
1225 Third Ave.
Columbus, GA
Anna Cannon
706-327-9612 x1506
Website
Orientation
Oct. 22 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Virtual Training (via Zoom)
Thursdays from Oct. 29 – Dec. 3 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. (except Nov. 26)
Dianna Dillard, Training Coordinator
404-859-7174
Website
Flex Training (Virtual)
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.
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.
Scott Sherwin
678-721-5922
Website
Traditional & Flex Training
Starts October 1
Orientations: Justine Ferreira, Recruitment and Retention Coordinator
Voicemail: 404-292-8291
Visit the website for information and registration
Trainings: Tara Daniels, Program Manager
Voicemail: 404-378-0038
Orientations (virtual)
Monday, November 16 at 11 a.m.
Tuesday, November 17 at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, December 8 at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, December 9 at 11 a.m.
Trainings (virtual)
Tuesdays, September 15, 29, October 6, 13, and 20 from 4-7 p.m.
Please note, the staff of DeKalb County CASA is working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, we do not have consistent access to our offices inside the Juvenile Court. Therefore, our ability to send/receive facsimile (fax) and answer phones in real time has been suspended. We check voicemails and emails multiple times per day and respond accordingly.
Ocmulgee CASA at Lakeview Academy
220 N. ABC St.
Milledgeville, GA
Email
478-452-9170
Training
Mondays and Wednesdays from September 28 – October 26
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Major Events
August 2020
August 11-13, 2020
Join us for the 2020 Virtual Georgia CASA Conference! Conference sessions are recorded and can be accessed, with registration, even after the conference ends. Click here to visit the event web page to register and view the agenda.