Jefferson City — The Missouri Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (Missouri CASA) held “CASA at the Capitol Day” on April 15 at the Missouri Capitol building.

A stated mission CASA officials shared with legislators was to support, improve, and develop Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs and engage in advocacy efforts for children in Missouri who have experienced abuse or neglect. Missouri CASA, based in Columbia, was joined by staff and volunteers from six of its local programs from around the state. Staff and volunteers visited with their representatives and senators to share the importance of CASA and its impact on children in the foster care system.

The goal of CASA at the Capitol Day was to ensure that legislators understand the work that CASA does. Twenty-four local programs around the state recruit, screen, train, and support community volunteers who provide best-interest advocacy for children in the foster care system who have experienced abuse or neglect. CASA programs ensure that these children have a consistent voice during their journey in foster care. The program is available in Franklin and Gasconade counties.

Volunteers and staff were able to share the impact that CASA has on children and youth and why it is essential to support this important work at a statewide level. CASA volunteers primarily work with one child or sibling group, visit with people in the child’s life, and learn key information about the child. This information, the child’s wishes, and recommendations regarding the child’s best interest, are submitted to the juvenile court judge via written court report. Recommendations to the judge are vital to the case and the child’s well-being, often leading to more resources for the child and impacting placement when there are safety concerns. These reports also help the child reach permanency as quickly and safely as possible.

According to the Missouri CASA Community Outreach and Education Coordinator, Alana Hickman, “Our CASA programs cannot fulfill their missions without the support of people in the community. As community members share their time, talent, and treasure with their local CASA program, more children in foster care in Missouri get to benefit from having a dedicated CASA volunteer by their side. Informing legislators about the work CASA does in their districts allows them to become an additional supportive voice as we work toward providing a CASA volunteer for every child we can.”

In addition to strong community support, CASA programs also require financial resources to ensure that staff members can supervise enough volunteers to advocate for the many children in foster care. One paid staff member can supervise up to 30 volunteers or 45 cases (children and/or sibling groups). Community and financial support are vital for programs to exist, grow, and thrive, according to state CASA officials.

“We truly appreciate the time that our local program staff and volunteers took to visit with their legislators and the willingness of our leaders at the Capitol to engage with us on these important issues,” said Brock Whisler, program services coordinator for Missouri CASA. “Any time taken to learn more about the importance of volunteer-based advocacy for children who have experienced abuse or neglect is another step toward providing best-interest advocacy for every child in foster care in Missouri. We are grateful for the Legislature’s continued acknowledgment of the many issues that affect our children and families and the programs working hard to address these issues in Missouri.”

In 2023, CASA programs around the state served over 4,600 abused and neglected children with over 2,000 volunteer advocates and staff, but programs still need your help. To learn more or to volunteer with a local CASA program, visit mocasa.org/volunteer.