As of September of this year there were over 80 children waiting for a volunteer. To close the gap, an additional 37 volunteers are needed.
Our mission is to advocate in the best interest of abused and neglected children in Delaware County. We recruit, train and support community volunteers who serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system proceedings. CASA volunteers are “the voice of the child” in court; providing information and perspective to assist the judge in making informed decisions that are in the best interest of the child.
In 2022:
- 3,454 GAL/CASA volunteers advocated for 18,918 children involved in abuse/neglect cases in Indiana’s courts in 87 of our 92 counties.
- In Indiana, 509 new volunteers were trained in 2022, spending nearly 15,000 hours in initial training.
- These volunteers contributed 348,213 hours of their time to advocate for abused and neglected children and made 295,888 contacts with these children.
- Volunteers donated an estimated $31 million in services by giving of their time and themselves advocating for our most vulnerable children.
The Delaware County CASA Program is affiliated with the Indiana State Office of GAL/CASA, which is part of the Indiana Supreme Court, Division of State Court Administration. The Delaware County CASA Program is certified by the State Office and complies with the Indiana Supreme Court Program Standards and Code of Ethics for GAL/CASA programs. The Delaware County CASA Program is also a member of the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association.
Advocacy of Delaware County CASA
Providing a Voice for Powerless Children
Over 500,000 children in the United States are in the foster care system because their home environments are unsafe. These children have suffered abuse, neglect, or other physical or sexual mistreatment, often due to one or both parents’ drug or alcohol addictions. Through no fault of their own, these children are removed from their homes and placed in foster care while their parents undergo services to address the problems in the home.
Once in the system, the Court must determine whether the children can be reunified with their families or need a different permanent plan for their lives, such as adoption or guardianship.
Children in this situation are scared, confused, sad, lonely, and overwhelmed. Worse, the adults the children trust the most are not there to support them. That’s where a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) comes in.