The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program provides citizen volunteers for children who are involved in the juvenile court system due to abuse or neglect. Compass recruits, trains, supports and supervises community members to serve in this special volunteer role. In a complex, overburdened child welfare system, CASA volunteers ensure that the child’s voice is heard and the best interest of the child is represented. National studies show that children who have CASAs are more likely to receive needed services and to be placed in a safe, permanent home than children who do not have a CASA volunteer.

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for children’s best interests. They stay with each case until it is closed and the child is in a safe, permanent home. We serve children from birth through the age 21.

Volunteers work with legal and child welfare professionals, educators and service providers to ensure that judges have all the information they need to make the most well-informed decisions for each child. 

Our best-interest advocacy is driven by the guiding principle that children grow and develop best with their family of origin, if that can be safely achieved. Most of the children we work with are in foster care, but some are with their family of origin. And, most children who leave foster care do so to return to their family.

Program Manager