CASA volunteers are everyday people – teachers, accountants, health care professionals, retirees, and stay-at-home parents. CASAs are committed to making a difference for children who might otherwise slip through the cracks in an overburdened foster care system. They are appointed by judges to guide one child or one set of siblings through the system to safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. CASA volunteers research case records and speak to each person involved in a child’s life, including family members, teachers, doctors, lawyers, and social workers. They monitor the progress of the child and family throughout the case and advocate for the child’s current and future needs in court, in school, and in agency meetings. Their independent evaluations allow the court to make better-informed decisions.
CASA volunteers truly get to know the child and can give each case the sustained and individualized attention it deserves.
We invite you to join our family of volunteers and make a difference in a child’s life – and your own!
Qualifications
A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) must:
- Be 21 years of age or older.
- Successfully pass screening and background check requirements.
- Successfully complete initial training provided by the CASA of Bell & Coryell Counties program
(30 hours of initial training plus 3 hours of courtroom observation). - Be able to make a 12-month minimum commitment to a case.
(An average of 10-20 hours per month) - Complete 12 hours of continuing education per year.
- Maintain confidentiality and work within established program guidelines.
Getting Started
First, please review the Volunteer Advocate Job Description before proceeding to the application.
Volunteer Advocate Job Description
Begin advocating for a child today!
Volunteer Advocate Application
The online application will be automatically submitted to the CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties office.
Once your application is received, you will be contacted within one business week of the application submission date by a CASA staff member and, if your application is accepted, you will receive a formal invitation to join our next round of CASA Volunteer Pre-Service Training.
CASA Pre-Service Training
Volunteer Advocate Training consists of 17 hours of classroom training, 13 hours of home learning assignments/activities, and 3 hours of CPS courtroom observation. Upon completion of training requirements and thorough background checks, volunteers are sworn in my a Judge with Bell County Centex Child Protection Courts or Coryell County, Child Protection of the Hill Country, as a Court Appointed Special Advocate.
We look forward to working with you as you begin your journey toward becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Thank you for your willingness to take this first step in forever changing the lives of children!
If you have additional questions, please call our office at (254) 774-1881 or email casa@casabellcoryell.org.