COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE

'CASA' or 'Court Appointed Special Advocate' is a national association that supports and promotes a court-appointed advocate on behalf of abused or neglected children in order to provide a safe and healthy environment in permanent homes.^[1]
CASA has 946 local and state organizations throughout the country, which are sustained by 50,000 volunteers. Advocates have helped over 225,000 abused or neglected children nationwide.
This volunteer organization is unique because it trains citizens to be appointed members of the court. Each volunteer is committed to a case until it is closed and the children are in a safe home.

Contents

History

Leadership

Notes

External links

History

During 1977, Seattle Superior Court Judge David Soukup was faced with making decisions on behalf of abused and neglected children with only the information provided by the state agency. Soukup formulated an idea that volunteers could be dedicated to a case and speak for the child’s best interests.

Fifty volunteers responded to his idea, which started the movement towards providing better representation for abused and neglected children throughout the country.

Leadership

Michael Piraino has served as CASA’s CEO for 13 years, overseeing 30 hour volunteer training programs, building partnerships with many organizations and corporations, a national quality assurance program, and many more duties.

As a lawyer, Piraino represented children ad litem and was a consultant for several global child advocacy programs.

According to the National CASA website,” As a result of his service to children, Piraino received the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges' President's Award in 1998 and the New York Decade of the Child Award in 1992.

CASA’s President Mimi Feller brings diversified experience in corporate management. She has managed a media corporation called the Gannett Foundation, which produces 99 daily newspapers including USA Today.

Feller has served on the National CASA board for nine years. Feller's responsibilities included corporate communications, media relations, Gannett Foundation, government relations and corporate advertising. Gannett Foundation, through its local grants program, has supported several local CASA programs as well as National CASA.

Notes

1. National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association]

External links

★ http://www.thecasaproject.org

★ http://www.nationalcasa.org

★ http://www.casaofnj.org/

★ http://www.casa-nyc.org/

★ http://www.azcasa.org

★ http://www.oklahomacasa.org

★ http://www.washingtonstatecasa.org/

★ http://www.californiacasa.org

★ http://www.vyjla.org

★ http://www.casanet.org

★ http://www.dallascasa.org/

★ http://www.athensoconeecasa.org