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The CASA Program is part of a national network of programs dedicated to reducing the amount of time a child spends in foster care and/or preventing foster care involvement for the child. By monitoring each individual case and advocating for system improvements, CASAs facilitate prompt placement of each child in a safe, permanent home.

Currently, in New York State alone, there are approximately 40,000 children in foster care. Each of these children spends an average of 2.8 years in foster care. In Broome County and Tioga County , there are currently more than 1,000 children involved in the court system who could benefit from the assignment of a CASA. These children and their families are thrust into both social services and the court system where it is up to a Family Court judge to make important decisions about their future.

Unfortunately, Family Court Judges often have to base decisions on incomplete information. Law guardians and child welfare workers who may be overburdened do not have the time or resources to thoroughly monitor court orders or to find out first hand what is really best for each child. As reports of abuse and neglect keep crowding court dockets, children increasingly become lost in the foster care system. CASA programs provide professional staff and trained volunteers to assist Family Court judges by investigating, implementing, and monitoring permanency plans for children involved in Family Court proceedings and their families.

Studies show that children with CASA volunteers have a better chance of living in a permanent home than children who do not have a CASA volunteer assigned. CASAs often reduce the number of times a child moves from placement to placement. Cases which have a CASA volunteer assigned are more likely to be reviewed on a regular basis by the Court and have fewer adjournments, thereby saving tax dollars. A child with a CASA volunteer is more likely to secure needed services in a timely manner.

The effectiveness of CASA programs is due in large part to the personal motivation of the volunteers and the low number of cases each volunteer manages. CASAs spend considerable time and effort on their cases, entirely without monetary compensation. Many CASAs are willing to remain involved over extended periods of time.

The CASA program began in Seattle, Washington, in 1977 in response to the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. There are now over 1000 community-based CASA programs across the United States with approximately 82,000 volunteers representing over 320,000 abused and neglected children. The first New York State CASA program was established in New York City during 1979. Since 1981, CASA programs have been established in Albany, Broome, Chemung, Chautauqua, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Fulton, Genesee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Monroe, Montgomery, Nassau, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Otsego, Rockland, Schenectady, Schuyler, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Ulster, and Westchester counties.

In Broome County , Voices for Children/CASA began as an independent nonprofit agency in 1993. In early 1998, the program joined an umbrella organization, ACCORD, A Center for Dispute Resolution, Inc. In 2005, the program began expanding into Tioga County .

The increasing number of children in foster care in our state is one of New York's most troubling problems. The involvement of CASA volunteers in Family Court is an effective way to help children in foster care find a permanent home. CASA volunteers make a huge impact on the world, one child at a time.

CASE EXAMPLE:

One child that a local CASA has had an impact on is little Brandon . When Brandon was four-years-old, DSS discovered that his mother was not feeding or supervising him properly due to her substance abuse. As a result of this finding, Brandon was placed in a foster home and a CASA was assigned to his case. Upon meeting with Brandon, the CASA observed that he was not potty trained and that his speech development was below that of other children his age. Based on this meeting, the CASA arranged for Brandon to be evaluated by Broome County's Early Intervention Program.