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Court-Appointed Special Advocates: CASA Overview

NCJ Number
111912
Author(s)
D Summers
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Testimonials from family court judges and other professionals involved in child placement decisions attest to the valuable role played by court-appointed child advocates (CASA) in providing the court with reliable information and representing the best interests of the child victim.
Abstract
Judges from several parts of the country discuss how the burgeoning caseload of child abuse cases precludes individualized attention from social workers and attorneys. Used on some 100 cities, the CASA program addresses this problem by using volunteers to collect information from the child victim, schools, neighbors, and all sources that the caseworker may not have the time to contact. Judges state that comprehensive case files compiled by CASA volunteers have helped them stop the turntable of moving children through different placements by freeing some for adopting and reuniting others with their families. In addition, CASA volunteers are excellent witnesses in jury trials since they represent only the child's interest.