Become a CASA Volunteer
What is a CASA?
A CASA is a Court Appointed Special Advocate who is a trained volunteer that helps children who are going through the court system, independent of the family and the state, to advocate for that child’s best future.
What does a month in a CASA's life look like?
No two weeks in the life of a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) look exactly alike. However, each week spent volunteering with Madison County CASA does have one constant: our volunteers are focused on advocating for the best interest of the child or children who are involved in the CASA’s assigned case.
Week 1: The CASA volunteer may go and visit with the child
Week 2: The CASA may spend time reaching out to the child’s foster parents or their teacher.
Week 3: The CASA may write and revise a court report that will be presented to the court to formally advocate for the child’s needs and permanent placement.
Week 4: The CASA may physically sit in the courtroom and answer questions that may arise in the child’s court hearing.
When all is said and done, each moment spent volunteering as a CASA is focused on advocating for the best interests of a child, for making sure that the child has everything that he or she needs to have a safe, stable home and future.
Requirements and process for becoming a CASA
Step 1: Application
Fill out our application. You can download it here.
Step 2: Interview
We will set up an interview with you (in person or virtual). This will allow us to get to know you better and answer any questions you may have.
Step 3: Local Background Check
All prospective CASA volunteers are required to complete a local background check. Background checks must be completed before the mandatory training sessions.
Step 4: Training
CASA Volunteer training consists of two options: Eight-week in-person training or five-week virtual training. These training sessions, mandated by the National CASA/GAL Association for Children, help our new volunteers prepare for serving as a CASA.
Step 5: Extensive Background Check
For the safety of the children and all CASA employees and volunteers, more extensive background checks will be performed after volunteer training.
Step 6: Make It Official
After the completion of training and background checks, you are ready to be an official Madison County CASA volunteer! Prior to serving, all volunteers are sworn in as Court Appointed Special Advocates by Juvenile Court Judge, Christy R. Little.