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Court Appointed Special Advocate
Introduction
A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained volunteer who is appointed by a judge, commissioner, referee, or other bench officer to provide one-on-one advocacy for a child who is under the jurisdiction of the courts owing to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. These volunteers spend time with children, ensure that court-ordered services are provided, attend court hearings for children to whom they are assigned, and provide child-focused recommendations to the court based on the best interests of the children they serve.
CASA programs were
first implemented in 1977 in Washington State; the following year the
first CASA program in California began providing services to children.
In 1988, legislation amended California's Welfare and Institutions Code
(§ 100 et seq.) to require the Judicial Council to establish guidelines
encouraging the development of local CASA programs. As a result, the Judicial
Council adopted rule 5.655 (previously rule 1424) of the California Rules
of Court, which contains mandatory requirements for CASA programs. The
Judicial Council works closely with the California CASA Association to
ensure that programs are in compliance with both rule 5.655 and National
CASA standards.
There are 40 local
CASA programs providing services in 43 of California's 58 counties, as
well as one Tribal CASA program. In 2006, California local CASA programs
served approximately 7,800 children. About 5,100 CASA volunteers donated
an estimated 529,800 hours to advocate for 7,700 of those children and
program staff alone served the other 100 children.
CASA Funding
The Judicial Council provides funding to all CASA programs serving the superior courts. CASA programs also receive funding from a variety of other sources. The Judicial Council's funding for California CASA programs is determined by county population as required by Welfare and Institutions Code, section 100. In addition, judicial officers or court managers interested in starting a new CASA program in a county without a CASA program can request a one year development grant to do so.
For year Fiscal Year
2007-2008, 40 programs in 43 counties were funded. In addition, 1 new
development program was awarded. For further information please contact
Stephanie Leonard at stephanie.leonard@jud.ca.gov.
CASA Services
Judicial Council staff members provide technical assistance to local CASA programs for issues related to grant funding and data collection. They also hold an annual program directors' meeting and a variety of conferences, including Beyond the Bench, with opportunities for training and networking.
CASA Program Evaluation
The program evaluation process is conducted in tandem with the California CASA Association (CalCASA); members from CalCASA and the AOC staff conduct each site review jointly to determine compliance with National CASA Standards and rule 5.655. Preparation for each site review includes a review of various program documentation submitted to the AOC during the year prior to the evaluation and the National CASA Standards Self-Assessment. The on-site evaluations confirm necessary compliance and program challenges are assessed to determine appropriate technical support needs. CalCASA staff provide follow up technical assistance. During these site visits, CalCASA staff also gather information regarding program strengths and innovative strategies to share as best practices with other programs.
National CASA Standards
Self-Assessment
As the central component of the National CASA Association (NCASAA) Quality
Assurance system, the self-assessment tool assists CASA/GAL programs in
identifying those areas where the program has fully implemented the national
standards, as well as, areas needing improvement. As of June 2006, all
full program members of NCASAA have completed the self-assessment. The
National CASA Association self-assessment is a four-year process. Program
members will begin the self-assessment again in 2010.
2006 CASA Program
Report
Findings reported are those of the California respondents to the 2006
Local Program Survey administered by the National CASA Association (NCASAA).
The Judicial Council reviewed data submitted by California CASA programs,
worked with the programs to ensure data integrity, and produced this report.
Links to the annual reports from 2003-2005 are also available below.
Outcomes-based
Data Collection
In 2004, the
AOC conducted a statewide evaluation of current data collection practices
in each CASA program. Following this initial assessment, the AOC implemented
a standard data collection procedure for California CASA programs. The
AOC also provided necessary training, equipment, and technological services
for implementation of this data collection project. On-going technical
support is available to ensure that each program is able to track the
data for 2 federally-identifiable child welfare outcomes: placement and
emancipation. On July 1, 2004, all California CASA programs began tracking
these outcomes goals.
Infants and Toddlers
Demonstration Project
The Infants and Toddlers Demonstration Project (I&T), funded by the
Stuart Foundation, was a four-year study that explored the effects of
the early appointment of CASA volunteers on the dependency experience
of children aged three and under. The study was designed to explore several
permanency issues, including whether infants and toddlers with CASA volunteers
were placed in permanent homes sooner than a comparison group without
CASAs. The final report was submitted to the Stuart Foundation in May
2003.
Another product of the I&T project was the development of training guidelines for volunteers working with very young children. The training guidelines are available at no charge from the AOC for CASA programs interested in starting an I&T component. Please contact Stephanie Leonard at stephanie.leonard@jud.ca.gov.
CASA and the Courts:
An Assessment
The AOC, in partnership with the SPHERE Institute and Ceres Research,
is currently conducting a study of the services provided by CASA to dependency
courts statewide. This one-time assessment focuses on what CASAs do to
gather and present critical information about dependent children to the
court. It includes the perspectives of CASA volunteers, CASA youth, program
staff, judicial officers and community partners. In addition to highlighting
current innovative and effective CASA practices, the study will also be
used to guide the Judicial Council in its CASA grants program and help
make decisions about how to improve and expand CASA programs. The final
report will be available in 2008.
Please contact CFCC@jud.ca.gov for more information.
