National CASA PDF Print E-mail
In 1977, a Seattle judge conceived the idea of appointing community volunteers to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court. Due to its rapid success, judges across the nation began implementing citizen advocates thereafter. In 1990, the US Congress encouraged the expansion of Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs with the passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act.

 

Today, National CASA has grown to a network of more than 59,000 volunteers that serve 243,000 abused and neglected children through 900+ local program offices nationwide, including Voices for Children, who is the National CASA affiliate in San Diego County. The advocates are appointed by judges and act as "friends of the court." Judges rely on the information these trusted advocates present to better determine the specified needs of each child.  For more information on National CASA, please visit their website at www.nationalcasa.org.