CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)

CASA ( Court Appointed Special Advocates) for children is a volunteer driven program that serves children of Graves, Carlisle, Hickman, and Fulton Counties.  Volunteers are thoroughly screened for appropriateness prior to being accepted as a candidate.  Once accepted the candidate engages in a minimum of 30 hours of pre-service training and commits to at least one year of service. 

CASA is appointed by our district court judges to serve on cases of children found to be dependent, abused, and neglected. CASA advocates spend time getting to know the child so they can speak to their best interest. They interview parents, teachers, counselors, etc. and review records. They provide the presiding judge with an additional set of “eyes and ears” from which to learn information. CASA provides the court with written reports offering recommendations that are heavily relied on by Judges whose difficult task is to make informed decisions on the child’s future. 

CASA is independent from other service providers. CASA volunteers are not social workers; they are simply people with a desire to help children. The average volunteer dedicates 5 hours per month to the child or sibling group.