“Over the past 32 years, thousands of CASA volunteers have provided advocacy in Court for thousands of abused and neglected children in our community.” - Kevin L. Greenwood, Deputy Director for Survivor Services
In 1977, a Seattle Juvenile Court Judge found himself faced with making life changing placement decisions about children he knew very little about. He never felt confident he had their entire story, and was deeply concerned about what might happen if he made the “wrong” decision. Out of this concern grew the idea for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). CASA of Franklin County was founded in 1991 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, volunteer based program and has steadily grown.
Three children die daily in America at the hands of their caretakers. More than 100,000 cases of child abuse and neglect are reported in Ohio annually and Franklin County reports approximately 2,700 children involved in abuse, neglect and dependency court proceedings each year. When a parent cannot, or will not provide for the safety of a child, the community must step in.
CASA provides the link between concerned community volunteers and the abused and neglected children in need of a powerful voice to speak up for their best interest. These volunteers are appointed by the court to help ensure that the children receive appropriate services and treatment by independently monitoring a child’s situation, identifying community resources and participating in the court process.