CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) provides trained community volunteers to advocate for the best interests of children who come to the attention of the court primarily as a result of abuse or neglect. Last year in Nashville, close to 2000 children were caught up in the court because they were abused, neglected or abandoned by those they loved and trusted the most.These children find themselves in foster care or temporary situations, often bouncing from home to home to home. Juvenile Courts must make critical decisions about these vulnerable children's lives, often with a disturbing shortage of facts.Fortunately, there is an organization that puts children first. It's called CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Staffed almost entirely by non-paid volunteers, CASA can make a real difference in the lives of children at risk.The Three Keys. CASA volunteers have three key responsibilities. Focusing on the child's best interests, every volunteer serves as a fact finder, an informed voice in court, and a watchdog.1. The volunteer serves as a fact finder for the judge by thorougly researching the background of the assigned case.
2. The volunteer speaks on behalf of the child in the courtroom.
3. The volunteer acts as a watchdog for the child during the life of the case.The goal is to ensure that the child makes it to a safe, stable, permanent home instead of falling through the cracks of bureaucracy.Last year, with 225 volunteers, CASA was able to advocate for 530 children. This year, we estimate that we will serve more than 600 children. However, estimates are that over 2300 abused neglected children will come through juvenile court this year alone in Davidson County. With your support, CASA can bring light to the lives of more abused and neglected children in our community.
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