Become a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for Children

If you've always wanted to help children who need it, you might consider becoming a court-appointed special advocate, or CASA. These volunteers are responsible for acting in the best interest of children who have been abused or neglected. In most cases, these kids have never had a stable adult influence in their lives, and they look to their advocate for guidance and support.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be an attorney to become a court-appointed special advocate. CASA members are everyday citizens who fill a growing need in their communities, and receive special training to learn how to do their jobs well. This is a volunteer opportunity, which means there is no compensation for your hard work, but special advocates are rewarded by the knowledge that they are helping children.

A court-appointed special advocate is needed for children who have just entered the foster care system, or have been victimized at some point in their lives. Since case workers and foster parents are often rotated on a regular basis, the CASA volunteer is the only constant in that child's life. He or she doesn't represent the adults who are responsible for giving a home to the child; instead, he or she becomes the voice of the child.

If you want to become a court-appointed special advocate, your first step is to locate a local branch of CASA, of which there are many in the United States. You can use the CASA Web site to run a zip-code search for a location in your area, then choose one that sounds like it might be convenient to your home. Of course, most of your work will be in the courts or at your own office or home, but you'll want to be close for the training classes.

After you've found a local branch of CASA, your next step is to submit an application. To become a court-appointed special advocate, the organization will want to run a background check to make sure you have no skeletons in your closet, and they will scrutinize your application for any problems before you even get to meet with a representative. Don't be nervous about this process -- they just want to make sure they have conscientious adults working for the children of your city.