In Adams and Broomfield Counties alone, there are currently 1,663 children in the dependency and neglect child welfare system who need to find safe and permanent homes with loving and caring families. These children often feel lost and invisible, but CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a nonprofit organization, is helping volunteer advocates make the children a priority and give them a life-changing experience so they can grow and thrive to be happy and successful human beings.
CASA is a volunteer-based organization that trains and supervises community volunteers to represent the best interests of the most vulnerable citizens — child victims of physical, sexual or emotional abuse and neglect. Volunteers, known as CASAs, are appointed by judges to be a voice for these children in court with the goal of placing children into a safe and permanent home.
“Volunteer advocates ensure that each child has a voice in court and that the judge receives up-to-date, pertinent information so important decisions may be made regarding the child’s educational and health-related needs, therapy, visitation, and ultimately permanency,” said CASA Executive Director, Lindsay Lierman. “Each volunteer advocate is vital to the children they represent. Judges highly value CASA’s recommendations which help them make informed decisions in the child’s best interest.”
CASA volunteer advocates give hope to children while navigating the child welfare system, and they never forget the work they are doing can have benefits that last a lifetime.
CASA Vice President of Development and Communications, Margaret Bachrach, added, “Having a stable relationship with a supportive adult can help children do well, even when they have faced significant hardships. One caring adult can change the trajectory of their life in a relatively short amount of time. What are we doing as a society if we’re not helping these children? The value we place on our volunteers is tremendous, because, without them, the numbers of neglected and abused children in the system will not have their voices heard. Our advocates give children a voice in court so that their needs are met in the most appropriate way.”
How CASA Got Started
The national CASA organization was founded in Seattle in 1977 by Judge David Soukup, who found he didn’t have the information he needed to make the decisions about permanency for children in the system. He gathered a group of advocates who he trained, swore in, and then he shared best practices with other judicial officers so they could build a network of advocates who would serve as the voice of children suffering from neglect and abuse.
There are nearly 1,000 CASA programs across the country, split by judicial districts. In Colorado, there are 22 judicial districts and CASA covers 18 of these. The programs in this state were recently restructured and are leading strategic partnerships across Colorado. CASA of Adams and Broomfield Counties is in the 17th Judicial District and employs 15 staff members. In 2018, 290 volunteer advocates served 502 children.
“Helping these children is vital; any adult who truly cares about children can do this job,” said Lierman. “Most children we help have never had unconditional stability in their lives and to step in and be a constant is just as life-changing for the adult as it is for the child.”
How It All Works and How You Can Help
Volunteer advocates will be pleased to know that they are provided with the necessary support and resources every step of the process.
“Our entire team is here to support our volunteer advocates, discuss their cases, and guide them every step of the way so they are never alone,” said Bachrach. “Recognition is a huge piece of how we help volunteer advocates because it’s natural that their work can take an emotional toll. From initial training to finding children a permanent home, we are with them.”
Once volunteers go the CASA 17th Judicial District website, they can complete an application, after which time they will be interviewed by team members for 45 minutes to an hour. After that, they sign up for training classes, the next of which will take place on January 2020. Training classes focus on an overview of the child welfare system and practical knowledge that can be used in advocating various causes.
After completing 15 hours in class and 15 homework-based hours, volunteer advocates are sworn in by a judge at a ceremony in the courtroom. Once they are official advocates, they are appointed to a child or family of children and spend an average of 10 hours a month advocating for these children (including time spent with the child, report writing, time advocating in court, supervision by staff, etc.). The advocate gets to know the child while also gathering information from the child’s family, teachers, doctors, caregivers, and anyone else involved in the child’s life.
When new CASA volunteers graduate from training, they are supported by a Peer Coordinator or a Senior Program Coordinator. These Peer Coordinators have been CASA Volunteers themselves for several years. They have been hand-selected and specially trained to support other CASA volunteers throughout their cases and are fully supported by CASA’s highly qualified, professional team.
“Time and time again we see how rewarding it is for both the advocate and the child,” added Bachrach. “The stability our volunteer advocates bring to a child’s life is crucial. We see children’s eyes light up when they meet with their advocates because they know they can trust and depend on them to get the help they need.”
One CASA youth, who has recently aged out of the system, said, “CASA can give kids a sense of hope that there is someone out there fighting for you. I wouldn’t be where I am today without CASA.”
Signature Fundraising Events
Fundraising comprises 100 percent of the CASA budget. CASA raises funds through its holiday cookie campaign and three main signature events. CASA’s Cookie Count runs from November 1st to December 5th.
The Light of Hope fundraising luncheon takes place each October. The CASA Classic Golf Tournament takes place each May, and Indulge for CASA, an evening of fun, food, and live/silent auctions takes place each July.
“We are always recruiting new volunteer advocates,” said Lierman. “The opportunity to help give a voice to children in need creates a ripple effect for future generations. We’re currently serving one-third of our community. We need to serve even more. Our volunteers truly make a difference; we place a high value on their service. We thank our current volunteer advocates and urge them to bring in more caring adults to help this wonderful cause.”
In July 2019, CASA moved its offices from the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton to the Adams County Human Services Center, located at 11860 North Pecos Street, Suite 2700 in Westminster. This new space provides on-site training for the volunteers; it serves as a central location for volunteers to meet its staff and presents the opportunity to strengthen CASA’s partnership with Adams and Broomfield County Children and Family Services and the many nonprofit organizations that provide services to the children for which it advocates.
To find out more about becoming a volunteer, contact Abbie Foley, Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator, at 720-523-2858 or email abbie@casa17th.com, or visit Become a CASA volunteer.
