Texas CASA, Inc.
(Court Appointed Special Advocate)
This is a summary
of Texas CASA, Inc., a statewide nonprofit organization that advocates
for abused and neglected children to give them a voice in court.
Volunteers
CASA volunteers are
trained and supervised by paid professional staff, and are appointed by
district judges to research the reported incidents of child abuse and
family history and develop recommendations to the court based on the best
interest of the child.
A CASA volunteer serves
as a fact-finder for the judge by thoroughly researching the background
of each assigned case; speaks for the child in the courtroom, representing
the child's best interests; and, continues to act as an advocate for the
child during the life of the case, ensuring that the child finds a safe
and permanent home as quickly as possible.
Texas CASA
Texas CASA serves
as the umbrella organization for local CASA programs around Texas by assisting
in the start-up of new CASA programs; providing training, funding and
technical assistance to existing programs; increasing community awareness
about issues concerning abused and neglected children; and serving as
the voice in the Texas legislature. Texas CASA's goal is to have a CASA
volunteer for every abused and neglected child in the court system, and
to have a CASA program in every county in Texas.
Direct Benefits
Texas CASA is able
to start a new CASA program each year; increase the number of children
who are served by existing CASA programs and CASA volunteers; and facilitate
and expedite the permanent placement of abused and neglected Texas children,
who could otherwise spend months or even years in limbo under the state's
care.
CASAs are able to
reduce the time a child spends in foster care from the statewide average
of 24 months to approximately 13 months, which saves the state of Texas
millions of dollars each year.
By using trained,
court-appointed volunteers, CASA programs are an efficient and cost-effective
means of advocating for abused and neglected children in the court system.
For further information,
please contact Texas CASA at 800 Brazos Street, Suite 710 Austin, TX 78701.
Telephone (512) 473-2627 or (800) 770-8042. The Web site is http://www.texascasa.org.
This summary is provided by the Texas Youth Commission. For more information about programs and research relating to children, youth, and family issues, contact us by e-mail at prevention@tyc.state.tx.us
or by telephone at (512) 424-6336.
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Prevention Summary
Texas Youth Commission