Our Impact
CASA volunteers play a unique role on behalf of some of our most vulnerable children. Their commitment, vigilance and persistence offer hope where there has been little.
Marian Wright Edelman
Founder of the Children’s Defense Fund
98% of Indiana judges agreed that children and families are better served because of CASA volunteers
It is impossible to ignore the long-term positive impact a CASA volunteer has on a child’s life.
When CASA volunteers delve into the backgrounds of families involved in child neglect and abuse cases, it is not unusual to find that the cycle of abuse and/or poor parenting practices goes back multiple generations. Unless this cycle is altered, future generations of children, yet unborn, are likely to end up as victims of abuse and neglect.
The work that CASA volunteers do in advocating for the best interests of the child helps to break the cycle of poor life choices and poor parenting practices. Hopefully, these issues can be resolved so the family can be reunited and the parents focused on providing a safe, stable, secure and nurturing home for the child in the long term.
Our Leadership
Donna Koerber
DIRECTOR
CASA of Washington County, Indiana
The Numbers
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According to the National CASA/GAL Association for Children, children with a CASA volunteer are substantially less likely to spend time in long-term foster care, defined as more than three years in care: 13.3% for CASA cases versus 27.0% of all children in foster care.
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Cases involving a CASA volunteer are more likely to be “permanently closed,” i.e., the children are less likely to re-enter the child welfare system than cases where a CASA volunteer is not involved. Just 9% of CASA children reenter the system. This is in contrast to 16% for children not served by a volunteer.
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Abused and neglected children are more likely to face homelessness, unemployment, and prison as adults. However, children with CASA volunteers are more likely to receive therapy, health care and education
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Judges have observed that children with a CASA volunteer have better chances of finding permanent homes than those who did not have an advocate.
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99% of Indiana judges who use CASA volunteers agreed that CASA volunteers influence the court’s decisions regarding children.
Hear the impact of one CASA volunteer directly from a former foster child
It is our goal that every child in the dependency system has a trained CASA or GAL volunteer […]. We have seen first-hand that these volunteer advocates make a positive difference in children’s lives.