Get Involved

Help improve the lives of children in foster care in your community by getting involved with CASA.

Become a CASA volunteer

Learn More >

Consider serving on a committee or board
Provide volunteer support for local CASA activities and events

Check out openings for staff and interns

Learn More >

Make a charitable donation

Learn More >

Share the CASA story

Become a CASA Volunteer

CASA volunteers are everyday people from all walks of life who do exceptional work. They are trained to advocate for the well-being of Georgia’s children experiencing foster care and are appointed by the court to advocate for each child’s best interest. That’s their sole purpose.

BECOME A VOLUNTEER

What does a CASA volunteer do?

CASA volunteers:

  • Establish a stable, one-on-one relationship with a child in foster care and get to know the child’s unique history
  • Gather information from anyone who can shed light on the child’s situation – teachers, foster parents, family members, physicians, etc.
  • Help the child plan and develop age-appropriate goals

  • Ensure the child has access to needed medical, education, career, and housing services
  • Attend court proceedings (usually every six months) and make an informed, independent recommendation to the judge to improve the child’s experience while in foster care and his/her overall well-being

  • Bring a sense of urgency to the child’s needs and promote safety
  • Advocate for timeliness and permanency for children involved in juvenile court proceedings
  • Remain involved until the case is permanently resolved to keep the focus on the child

Learn more about a CASA volunteer’s role and purpose

Download Flier >

Check out this brief video about becoming a CASA volunteer

Check out some frequently asked questions

Learn More >

“Children are in need of dreams; children entering juvenile court have no dreams or hope for the future. CASA gives them that hope and helps them to understand that what has happened to them is not their fault; they are not defective or substandard. CASA volunteers are there to help a child rise above it all.”

Judge Mary Carden (Ret.), Gainesville, GA

Five Steps to Make a Difference

The actions of a single person — a CASA volunteer — can mean everything to a child in foster care. A child with a CASA is more likely to receive needed services and be placed in a safe, permanent home when reunification isn’t likely. CASA volunteers make a difference every day. You can, too. Become a volunteer.

FAQ’s

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate.
Check out the five steps to becoming a CASA volunteer.

No. CASA volunteers are everyday citizens from all walks of life who care about children and their welfare. Your common sense, life experience, and desire to help is all you need to begin. You will be receiving special training and supervision to ensure you have a complete understanding of your role before you are assigned a case.

Each CASA affiliate program determines the length of commitment required. It typically ranges from one to two years. However, many advocates stay involved much longer because they find making a positive impact in a child’s life so rewarding.
It varies because each case is different, depending on the child’s age, situation and needs. On average, a CASA volunteer spends six to ten hours per month on a regular case.
CASA volunteers serve children who have been removed from their homes as a result of abuse and/or neglect and need the court’s protection. They range from a newborn to age 17, come from all races and ethnicities and have one thing in common — they have been traumatized at the hands of those who were supposed to be their protectors.

Once children and youth are taken into DFCS (Department of Family and Children Services) custody, their cases are overseen by judges in the juvenile courts who appoint CASA volunteers to focus on the child and provide recommendations to improve a child’s experience while in foster care, as well as the child’s overall well-being.

The CASA program provides a unique and valuable service built on each CASA volunteer giving individualized attention to one child. However, sometimes a CASA volunteer may work with group of siblings, or be recommended by their supervisor to take on another case.

Social workers are employed by the state and often assigned many cases at a time. The social worker is responsible for helping an entire family, which includes setting up individual services for family members. A CASA volunteer is the advocate for the child, is not paid, works with only a few cases at a time, and does not set up services. The CASA volunteer does not replace the social worker on a case; he or she is an independent officer of the court and works within the child welfare system to improve children’s experiences while in foster care.

A CASA volunteer does not provide legal representation for a child in the courtroom; he or she does not replace an attorney. Both CASA volunteers and attorneys have a duty to investigate firsthand the child’s circumstances and make best interests recommendations to the court, but there are significant differences. CASA volunteers are legally prohibited from giving children legal advice – even if they are attorneys. Unlike attorneys, CASA volunteers submit written reports to the court, can give testimony, and work at the discretion of the judge. An attorney has many clients. Because of their one-on-one relationships, CASA volunteers have more time to devote to their children, getting to know them and their circumstances.

CASA volunteers are only appointed to children who have come to the attention of the juvenile court system due to abuse or neglect. Like a mentoring program, the CASA volunteer does develop a relationship with the child through frequent contact; however, the primary role of the CASA volunteer is to gather information about the child, write reports to the court, and attend court hearings. The CASA program is not a mentoring program.

Our volunteers answer your questions

To get a real-world view of volunteering with CASA, check out our Ask A CASA videos. Our volunteers respond to frequently asked questions in their own words, based on their personal experiences as CASA volunteers.

Still have questions?

CONTACT US

Find a Program

Georgia CASA supports 46 affiliate programs serving all 159 counties in the state. To find a program near you, use our Program Directory to search by county or name of the program.

PROGRAM DIRECTORY

Program Training

A schedule of upcoming Volunteer Training sessions appears below for affiliate CASA programs that have requested to be listed. If you don’t see a particular program listed, please contact the program directly.

Savannah CASA (part of Brightside Child & Family Advocacy)
761 Wheaton St.
Savannah, GA 31401

Hollyn Green
912-447-8908
Website

Classroom Trainings
Wednesdays from 5 – 8 p.m.
March 27 – May 1

Thursdays from 5 – 8 p.m.
August 8 – September 12

Wednesdays from 5 – 8 p.m.
October 16 – November 20

Carroll County CASA
Carrollton, GA 30117

Email
770-838-1964
Website

Flex Training (in-person + online)
Begins Wednesday, January 17

Justine Ferreira
404-292-8291
Website

Orientations (online)
Tuesday, March 12 at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, March 13 at 12 noon

Karan Albritton
229-931-4488
Website

Online Training
Tuesdays and Thursdays from February 21 – March 21
6 – 9 p.m.

Cobb County Juvenile Court
32 Waddell St.
Marietta, GA 30090

Maricruz Garcia
770-528-2285
Website

Classroom Training
Saturdays, April 20 – May 11, from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 14 from 4 – 7:30 p.m.

CASA Office, Gilmer County Courthouse
1 Broad St.
Ellijay, GA 30540

Jason Turner
706-276-2272
Website

Information Sessions
2nd Wednesday of each month
10 a.m. – 12 noon

Classroom Training
Tuesdays and Fridays from March 5 – April 11
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Milledge Avenue Baptist Church
1690 S. Milledge Ave.
Athens, GA 30605

Kesha Collier
706-613-1922
Website

Flex Training (in-person + online)
Thursdays from 5:30 – 9:15 p.m.
March 21 – April 18

Towaliga CASA
101 Commerce Pl., Suite 3
Barnesville, GA 30204

Danita Crawford
770-289-5017
Website

Classroom Trainings
Mondays from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

April 8 – June 3 (except May 27)

September 9 – October 28

Family Support Council
1529 Waring Rd.
Dalton, GA 30720

Tracy Harmon
706-428-7931

Classroom Training
Tuesdays from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Begins February 6

Hall-Dawson CASA
Gainesville, GA

Tracy Verrigni 
770-531-1964
Website

Flex Training (in-person + online)
February 6 – March 26

Coastal Plain CASA
Tifton, GA

Jana Barfield 
229-386-9765
Website

Orientation
April 2 from 6 – 7 p.m.

Flex Training (in-person + online)
Tuesdays from April 16 – May 14
6 – 8 p.m.

Major Events

April 23, 2024

The annual Luncheon & Fashion Show fundraiser, “CASA on the Catwalk,” will take place in Buckhead. Click here to visit the event website page for more details and to make a purchase.