CASA volunteers are everyday people – teachers, business people, retirees, stay-at-home moms, and grandparents – who are committed to making a difference for children who might otherwise slip through the cracks in an overburdened foster care system. They are appointed by judges to guide one child or one set of siblings through the system to safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. CASA volunteers research case records and speak to each person involved in a child’s life, including family members, teachers, doctors, lawyers, and social workers. They monitor the progress of the child and family throughout the case and advocate for the child’s current and future needs in court in school, and in agency meetings. Their independent evaluations allow the court to make better informed decisions.
Because CASAs serve on one case at a time, they truly get to know the child and can give each case the sustained, personal attention it deserves.
We invite you to join our family of volunteers and make a difference in a child’s life – and your own.
call us @ 830.896.casa to get started!!
Qualifications
In order to serve, Hill Country CASA volunteers must be at least 21 years of age and undergo 30 hours of initial training (of which 20 hours is self-paced, online) and pass state and federal background checks.
Once a volunteer has completed the pre-service process, they can be sworn in as an officer of the court and immediately begin serving children.
Typically, the first 90 days of a case are when many decisions about the children are made. It’s not unusual that during this time a CASA volunteer may spend 15+ hours each of those first three months.
Following, the time commitment drops to between 5-10 hours per month; these hours are typically quite flexible, with most of these being able to be done at convenient times for the volunteer. Hill Country CASA reimburses volunteers for their travel expenses.
CPS cases typically last between 12 – 18 months. We ask our HCCASA volunteers to commit at minimum 12 months, to ensure continuity for the child they are serving and that they are able to keep information confidential and work within the established program guidelines.
