Mission
ADVOCATING FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE YOUTH
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Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children of DC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy so that every abused and neglected child in the DC foster care or juvenile justice system can be safe, establish permanence and have the opportunity to thrive. This mission is carried out through the recruitment, training, and support of volunteer advocates (CASA volunteers) who serve youth in DC.
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CASA volunteers provide a voice in court for young people who are court-involved and establish a unique and supportive relationship with their young person to assist them in achieving safe, permanent homes and key life skills. As one of 950+ affiliates of National CASA for Children, CASA DC was born from a desire to provide DC children with a consistent adult in what can easily become a whirlwind of attorneys, social workers, and related professionals.
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OUR VISION
Our Vision is to ensure that every abused or neglected court-involved child in D.C. has access to a Court Appointed Special Advocate.
A LEGACY OF ADVOCACY
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Since being founded in 2002, CASA for Children of DC has served over 1900 children who have been victims of abuse and neglect through more than 2000 volunteer advocates. CASA for Children of DC continues to be the leading voice of advocacy for children in the District of Columbia’s child welfare system through a unique and effective 1:1 advocacy model that helps youth find solace in what is often a tumultuous environment. After 30+ hours of training, volunteers are sworn in by the DC Superior Court and advocate to secure critical services for the child they are assigned, often helping them connect to jobs, educational opportunities, and housing. Because of their dogged advocacy and results, judges see CASA volunteers as “the eyes and the ears” of the court system. CASA volunteers handle just 1 or 2 cases at a time so that they can give each child’s case the sustained, personal attention he or she deserves.
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An Inspector General report for the U.S. Department of Justice said foster children who have CASA volunteers spend less time in long-term foster care and are less likely to be homeless. More than 90% of children with CASA volunteers never reenter the child welfare system, a significant difference compared to the general foster care population (Read National CASA’s 2013 Annual Report to learn more).
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For more information about CASA on a national level, please visit https://nationalcasagal.org/