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CASA: Advocates for Children of New York
State provides support to New York State
CASA programs that utilize trained community volunteers to advocate on
behalf
of children in the court system. The
Association works to promote, assist, and support the development,
growth, and
continuation of CASA programs in the state of New York that agree to
follow the
standards set by the National CASA Association, the Office of Court
Administration, and this Association.
About Our Mission
When
children are abused or severely neglected, they must rely on adults to
help them obtain justice and services. That is the intent of the social
service and Family Court systems, but all too often these systems are
fraught with escalating caseloads and reduced resources. Children
currently average more than three years in the limbo of foster care,
with their futures unresolved and uncertain. Family Court judges, with
as little as ten minutes to determine a child's fate, are facing
increasingly complex cases, limited support services, and disjointed,
insufficient or outdated information on which to make sound decisions.
CASA: Advocates for
Children of NYS (CASANYS) promotes and supports local community
advocacy programs whose trained volunteers assist Family Courts in
making crucial decisions affecting children in 36 counties across New
York State. We offer training, technical assistance, information, and
support to member programs. We also work with other statewide court,
social service, and children's advocacy programs on policy related
issues.
The
heart of our program is the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), a
specially trained and supervised community volunteer, appointed by a
Family Court judge. CASAs help to secure safe and permanent homes for
abused and neglected children by investigating and monitoring cases
involving children in foster care. CASAs take only one or two cases at
a time, allowing ample time to gather thorough information.
After reviewing all the
records and documents pertinent to a child's case and completing
interviews with all relevant parties, the volunteer then submits a
formal report to the court. This report details information and
concerns about where the child can find a safe, stable, and nurturing
home, as well as what services are required for the child and
non-offending family members and caregivers. Most volunteers then
monitor the case to make sure that Court orders are being followed and
the child continues to be safe. The CASA volunteer is very often the
single constant in a child's life throughout case. Volunteers average
109 hours per year, providing a powerful voice in each child's life.
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