Court Appointed Special Advocates

Program goal(s): Ensure youth have court appointed representation To improve outcomes for children in the foster care system by providing membership and accreditation subgrants to regional, state, and local CASA organizations that support volunteer advocates who represent abused and neglected children in dependency hearings and partner with other public and private child welfare system stakeholders at the local, state, regional, and national levels. Support court advocates Provide effective advocacy for abused and neglected children, including foster care youth; expand the national membership and accreditation program for state and local CASAs; make training and technical assistance available to support existing and new local and state CASA programs across the nation and CASA services in communities where representation rates are low, the numbers of abused and neglected children are high, and service systems do not meet the needs of families and children; provide training and technical assistance in volunteer advocate recruitment and retention, volunteer advocate training, data collection and reporting, sustainability, and program standards.