CASA for Children of Klamath County

The Mission of the CASA for Children of Klamath County program is to provide trained advocates for foster children who are dependent on the juvenile court to ensure their right to a safe and permanent home. Through this advocacy, we will ensure a timely disposition of each case.

CASA is guided by one underlying principle: Children deserve to be placed in safe and permanent homes as quickly as possible. The CASA is the voice of the child, an unbiased voice for the child's best inerests. They are a constant reminder that at the heart of each case is a child who deserves a safe and permanent home with a loving family.

CASA for Children of Klamath County, a non-profit progam, was established in 1991. The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program originated in Seattle, Washington in 1977 by Judge David Soukup, the Presiding Judge of King County Superior Court.

Judge Soukup saw a rise in the number of child abuse and neglect cases appearing before his court and felt that he was not getting the information he needed to determine the best placement for each child’s circumstances. The Guardian Ad Litem (the child’s legal representative), though charged with advocating for the best interests of the child, often had neither the time nor the training to provide adequate information to the court. Social workers were equally overburdened. At Judge Soukup’s request, the Seattle court began recruiting and training volunteers to serve as advocates for children in abuse and neglect cases. In 1978 a nationwide study was conducted for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to evaluate volunteer programs in juvenile courts. The Seattle program was termed one of the most successful and innovative.

When the Seattle program was found to be so successful, other courts began to organize CASA programs. The Los Angeles Superior Court created CASA of Los Angeles in 1978, making it one of the first five CASA programs in the nation. Friends of CASA of Los Angeles was created in 1983 to raise funds to support the program, and CASA of Los Angeles is now a public-private partnership between the Los Angeles Superior Court and Friends of CASA, a non-profit organization. In 1982, the National CASA Association was formed to direct CASA’s emerging national presence. Currently there are more than 900 programs in all 50 states with more than 52,000 volunteers serving over 206,000 children.

Volunteer Trainings. Click on Volunteer Training at www.klamathfallscasa.org
Fundraising Events. CASA for Children of Klamath County holds an annual cycling event fundraiser that attracts cyclists from around the Pacific Northwest. For more information, click on Cycling Event at www.klamathfallscasa.org.

CASA volunteers come from all walks of life.  What sets them apart is that despite their busy schedules they take time to make a difference in the life and future of a foster child.  A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is in a unique position to know of and have access to the widest array of service and support for foster children.   As a party to the case, CASA collaborates with the courts and numerous agencies ensuring child safety, child well-being and permanency for foster children.    

Often, a CASA volunteer is the only consistent adult in a foster child’s life.  This consistency creates a relationship between the child and CASA volunteer that promotes social, emotional and behavioral support for the child.

CASA is a link between the judge, child welfare caseworkers, numerous service providers, and caregivers ensuring these children do not fall through the cracks of an overburdened system.  Achieving child well-being requires resources to assist the court in gathering information relevant to permanency decision making.  CASA volunteers provide the courts with extensive information that would not otherwise be available to the judge. 

The research is clear.  The influence of an interested and caring adult – an important protective factor – is significantly stronger for children who have an advocate than those without.  Often, our CASA volunteers have lunch with their children at school.  One of our CASA volunteers, Marge, relays a story about how a young girl she was advocating for would run up to her and give her a hug every time she had lunch with her at school.  This young girl would proudly announce to her classmates that Marge was her CASA. 

As noted in the U.S. Department of Justice 2006 Audit Report, www.nationalcasa.org, CASA is an evidence-based program promoting the following positive outcomes for foster children in our community:

·         Less time in foster care.  Children with a CASA volunteer are substantially less likely to spend time in long-term foster care, defined as more than 3 years in care:  13.3% for CASA cases versus 27.0% of all children in foster care.

·         Foster care reentry reduced by half.  A child with a CASA is less likely to reenter the child welfare system.  The proportion of reentries is consistently reduced by half.

·         Both children and parents receive more services.  When a CASA is involved, both children and their parents receive more services – on average between 2.1 and 3.1 additional services – “mental health and medical services were significantly more likely to be received by children in cases involving a CASA volunteer . . .”

·         Permanency.  Greater likelihood of achieving permanency.  Cases are “permanently closed” -- only 9 percent of children in cases involving a CASA reentered the CWS as compared to 16% of children in cases not involving a CASA.”

·         Placement changes are reduced.  Changes in placements are reduced enabling children to remain with the same foster parent throughout their time in foster care. 

·         Positive outcomes.  Is more likely to have increased self esteem, increased achievement and the ability to make positive choices

·         Fewer risk factors.  Exhibits fewer risk factors and is more successful in school. 

With foster care reentries reduced by half, increased permanency, and substantially less time in foster care, CASA children have more stability in placement and education.  CASA knows that children are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and succeed academically when they feel connected and achieve permanency in a safe and permanent home. 

An investment in CASA is an investment in the children in our community.  The CASA program: 

·         Provides judges with the information they need to make critical decisions about each child

·         Increases educational advocacy and student achievement

·         Increases the accountability of the child welfare and court systems

·         Reduces the number of children in long-term foster care

·         Connects children with family and relatives

·         Aligns children and families with appropriate services

·         Ensures that children are only in state custody once

·         Provides children with hope and a plan for their future

The bottom line is that CASA volunteers offer children a better chance at life.  CASA volunteers provide an outside perspective to the entire child welfare system so that more children are kept safe, attention is placed on their overall well-being and they are placed in permanent homes.