CASA advocates for children, providing court appointed volunteers so each child in the dependency and juvenile court system feels cared for and connected with the people, families, and resources they need to heal and flourish into adulthood.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are community volunteers who work one-on-one with children and youth in the foster care and/or juvenile probation systems. CASA volunteers devote a few hours a week getting to know one child and gathering information from everyone involved in the child’s life. Volunteers are part of a team that works for the best interests of the child.
CASA recruits, screens, trains, matches, and supervises these volunteer Advocates to be the voice of our community’s youth in the Santa Cruz County Court System. Advocates get to know their child’s situation and needs, help caregivers access resources to meet those needs, and advocate for the child’s best interests in Court, community, and school settings.
Youth with a CASA are more likely to become healthy adults who break the cycle of trauma.
Often when people hear "foster youth" they don't hear "resilience" as an option. But having CASA in my life has always left me an opportunity for resilience. Every time I've needed help, it has been given to me.
Anonymous, age 19, County of Santa Cruz
