17th Circuit Court

Circuit Court Online Services

CASA

Court Appointed Special Advocate

CASA Photo
CASA Logo

Kent County CASA Program
180 Ottawa Ave NW, Suite 3400
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 632-5311

Mission Statement

CASA of Kent County provides highly trained volunteers to advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children in family court proceedings.

CASA History

Judge David Soukup of Seattle, Washington first implemented the CASA concept in 1977. As a Judge he felt a compelling need to have more information available to him on which he could base his decisions, most of which had lifetime ramifications for children. Kent County's late Judge John P. Steketee was part of the group of then Juvenile Court Judges who named and initiated the program. Since the conception of the CASA program, CASA has grown to include over 955 member programs now in 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. An estimated 76,000 volunteers are "A Powerful Voice" for approximately 240,164 abused and neglected children nationwide. The National CASA Association has been established to provide leadership and lend technical support to new and existing programs. The Kent County CASA Program adheres to the program guidelines and standards established by the National CASA Association.

National Statistics

  • In 2009, an estimated 3,300,000 children were reported abused or neglected. Of this number, 763,000 reports of child abuse were substantiated.
  • Every day more than four children die as a result of abuse and neglect. In 2009 an estimated 1,700 children died of abuse and neglect; 80.8 percent of the children were under five-years-old and 46.2 percent never reached their first birthday.
  • Violence occurs against women and children in the same family. Research indicates that between 50 and 70 percent of men who assault their female partners also abuse their children.
  • At the end of 2009 an estimated 424,000 children in our country lived in out-of-home care; family foster care, kinship care, or residential care.
  • Children who suffer abuse or neglect are 53 percent more likely to become juvenile delinquents, 38 percent more likely to be arrested as adults, and 38 percent more likely to become violent criminals. What's more, abused and neglected children are involved in delinquency and criminal activity earlier, commit more offenses, and more often become chronic or repeat offenders.
  • Abused children also have lower IQ's, lower reading ability, higher rates of unemployment, more low paying jobs, and higher rates of suicide attempts.

Kent County Statistics

  • The Kent County CASA Program began in 1991, training its first group of volunteers in 1992.
  • In 2010, there were more than 800 children in Kent County who were wards of the Court.
  • Kent County CASAs advocate for children from birth to 18 years of age.
  • The average number of children advocated for through our CASA Program in 2010 was 241. There are currently 91 volunteers.
  • There is a growing need for bi-lingual, African American and Hispanic CASAs..

Time Commitment

  • CASA volunteers are required to commit themselves, once assigned to a case, until that case is discharged from the legal system.
  • CASA volunteers are expected to average 10 to 20 hours a month on a case.
  • As a part of the required hours, a volunteer is to see the child/children assigned to at a minimum of every 2 weeks.

Job Description

TITLE

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)

QUALIFICATIONS

CASA volunteers shall be of majority age and shall successfully complete screening requirements including a written application, personal interview, references and a criminal background investigation. In addition volunteers will complete the 30+ hours of training and be sworn in by the family court judges.

COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE OVERVIEW

A CASA is an official part of judicial proceedings, working alongside attorneys and foster care case managers. By handling only one case at a time the CASA has time to thoroughly explore the history of each assigned case. The CASA role is comprised of advocating, investigating, facilitating, and monitoring. This is accomplished by talking to the child, parents, family members, neighbors, school officials, doctors and others involved in the child's life or family's life at one time or another who might have facts about the case. The volunteer reviews all court facts and documents pertaining to the case. The CASA helps to facilitate a collaborative relationship between all parties on the case. He/she submits written reports including recommendations as to the best interest of the child/children to the Judge at every scheduled hearing. The CASA continues involvement with the child/children in the case to assure that the judicial and child welfare systems are moving ahead to secure a safe, permanent home for the child/children and that court-ordered services are provided to them and the family. Each volunteer assigned to a case is supervised by one of the program's staff to assure consistency in volunteer activities and as a resource and guide in the complexity of child welfare proceedings.

REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES
  • Ability to keep all client and court information confidential.
  • Ability to respect and relate to people from various backgrounds (economic, cultural, educational) in a variety of settings.
  • Ability and resources to transport self to a variety of locations.
  • Ability to maintain objectivity in emotional situations.
  • Ability to gather, record and report factual information accurately.
  • Ability to deal with hostility, anger and other emotional attitudes.
  • Ability to be a team player with all parties involved in a case.

Training Program

All volunteers must participate in our 30-hour training program before being sworn in by our Family Court Judges and assigned to a case. Training is usually held over a 3 or 5 week time period.

Chapter 1: Introducing the CASA Volunteer Role

  • Role and responsibilities of a CASA
  • How personal attitudes, values, and skills influence the work of a CASA

Chapter 2: Introducing the Law, the Child Protection System & the Courts

  • Current Federal and State laws regarding abuse and neglect
  • What is Child Protective Services and who are all the participants in a case
  • Summary of how the legal system works on behalf of abused and neglected children

Chapter 3: Exploring Cultural Awareness

  • Recognizing the many facets of diversity
  • Culturally appropriate, culturally sensitive practices for families
  • Cross-cultural communication

Chapter 4: Understanding Families - Part 1

  • Financial and non-financial resources for families
  • Stress in families & risk factors for abuse and neglect
  • Adult mental illnes

Chapter 5: Understanding Families - Part 2

  • Myths and facts about poverty
  • How substance abuse and domestic violence impact families
  • The importance of family to a child

Chapter 6: Understanding Children

  • How children grow and develop
  • Education, emotional, and psychological issues for children
  • A child's need for a safe and permanent home

Chapter 7: Communicating as a CASA Volunteer

  • Child observations and establishing rapport and trust with children
  • Applying a collaborative approach to dealing with conflict
  • Different styles of dealing with conflict

Chapter 8: Practicing the CASA Volunteer Role - Gathering Information

  • Planning the investigation and gathering information
  • Community resources
  • Process used to appoint a CASA volunteer to a case

Chapter 9: Practicing the CASA Volunteer Role - Reporting and Monitoring

  • Writing court reports and appearing in court
  • Steps required to monitor a case from a volunteer's appointment to the case discharge

Chapter 10: Pulling it All Together

  • Volunteer safety and strategies for self-care
  • Role of CASA program staff for volunteer supervision and support
  • CASA program office procedures for case assignments, obtaining records, submitting court reports, etc

Volunteer Application

If after reading the information included here you wish to apply please send in an application. After returning your application, we will call to set a time to meet and talk further.