On January 1, 1977, the King County Superior Court (Washington State) inaugurated the CASA program; more than 131 CASA programs now operate in 26 States. CASA programs operate in dependency cases in which children have allegedly been abused, neglected, or abandoned by their families. Only the court can appoint a CASA volunteer. As a guardian ad litem, CASA investigates and evaluates case circumstances and gives a recommendation to the court regarding action believed to be in the child's best interest. Developers of successful CASA programs identify the following success factors: support of a strong judge, a clear definition of the CASA role, an effective program manager, and the recruitment and training of a broad spectrum of volunteers. Although each CASA training program differs, generally all include 10 to 45 hours of initial preservice training information on child abuse, the character of advocacy, juvenile justice procedures, foster care and placement, and CASA role. Names, addresses, and phone numbers of information sources are provided.