Become A CASA
Why Become A Casa Volunteer
As a CASA volunteer you develop a trusting relationship with a young person (we serve ages 0-21) who has been placed in the foster care system because of abuse or neglect or young people who is part of the juvenile justice system. As young people navigate a period of trauma, uncertainty and change, a CASA volunteer may be the only consistent and caring adult presence in a young child’s life.
Ready to learn more?
E-mail marlene@casaofsanmateo.org with any questions
A big thank you to CASA of Travis County and For the City Network for this video.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do CASA volunteers do?
After careful screening and training, CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for court-involved youth to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service systems. CASA volunteers devote their attention to one child, spending time with them weekly, closely monitoring their situation and ensuring their needs are met. Our volunteers provide companionship and consistency while getting to know the child and encouraging special interests. Volunteers remain with the child until the case is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many court-involved youth, as professionals assigned to their case rotate in and out of their lives, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence in their lives and the one person who is not paid to oversee their welfare.
Who can be a CASA volunteer?
CASA volunteers are adults 21 years of age or older who come from all walks of life. They are community members who care about our young people and who form a personal connection, a connection that for many is life changing. They want to help and they want to make an impact.
What is the commitment?
Too many people come in and out of lives of the children we support. We expect our CASA volunteers to remain with a child for 18 months, unless the case closes before that time. CASA volunteers visit their child weekly, spending an average of 10 hours a month with them or on behalf of their foster child.
How To Become A Casa Volunteer
- The first step to becoming a CASA volunteer is to attend an orientation, which you can register for using our online form.
- After orientation, you will complete an application and schedule a screening interview with a CASA staff member. After the interview, if there is a mutual fit, you will be invited to begin training.
- Training is held in our offices from 6-9 pm, two nights a week over a five week period.
- During training, you will receive a comprehensive overview of the child welfare system and learn how to be a successful advocate for a youth in foster care or the probation system.
- Following successful completion of training, you will be sworn in as an Officer of the Court.
