CASA

The mission of the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association, together with its state and local members, is to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy so that every abused or neglected child can be safe, establish permanence and have the opportunity to thrive.

The Iowa Court Appointed Special Advocate Program recruits, trains and supports community volunteers to serve as an effective voice in court for abused and neglected children, strengthening efforts to ensure that each child is living in a safe, permanent and nurturing home. The Court Appointed Special Advocate is typically assigned one case at a time and does a variety of things to promote the child's best interests: investigation, assessment, facilitation, monitoring and advocacy. The judge assigning the CASA to a case has ordered them to become familiar with all aspects of the child's life. They are expected to keep in regular contact with the child to develop a relationship that allows them to understand and communicate the child's needs and wishes. Each CASA generally is assigned one child or sibling group at a time and typically stays with their assigned case until the child's permanency is established and the case is closed. Some of a CASA's most important duties are to maintain contact with and collect information from the child's parents; the attorneys and guardians ad litem involved with the case; DHS workers; and, foster parents, therapists, teachers, doctors, relatives and anyone else who has knowledge of the child's situation.

CASAs are required to regularly submit reports to the Court that present the facts of the case, that describe how the Court's orders are being followed and that offer recommendations regarding the child's best interests. Please visit https://childadvocacy.iowa.gov for more information on becoming a CASA volunteer.