East Texas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)

East Texas CASA will recruit and train volunteers to advocate for the best interests of children and youth who are removed from their families due to abuse or neglect in Gregg, Rusk, and Upshur counties.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CASA VOLUNTEER
When a child enters the foster care system because his or her home is no longer safe, a judge may appoint a committed volunteer to help them. That volunteer is called a Court Appointed Special Advocate®, or CASA.

CASA volunteers are highly trained and then appointed by judges to represent and advocate for a child's best interests in the child protection system. CASA volunteers are each assigned to help one child or set of siblings at a time, so they can focus on giving that child or sibling group the individualized advocacy and attention they need.

East Texas CASA provides valuable volunteer advocacy for children in their community that are navigating the foster care system. CASA volunteers provide information to the court and represent the child/children's best interest. This includes medical advocacy, educational advocacy, and legal advocacy. CASA works alongside other parties in the case such as the caseworker to find family connections for these children. CASA volunteers are frequently the only stable presence in these children's lives as they navigate the foster care system.