Jackson County CASA Competitors

Texas CASA’s mission is to support local CASA programs with training, community awareness, resources and public policy to make a positive difference in the lives of children and families in Texas. Established in 1989, Texas CASA is the statewide membership association for all local CASA programs. In this role, we support the CASA network by distributing and overseeing state and federal funds, setting and monitoring standards, providing training, leading a statewide volunteer recruitment campaign, advocating for public policy and more. Texas CASA is committed to partnering with statewide stakeholders and the CASA network to elevate best practices when working with children and families.

Child Advocates mobilizes advocate volunteers to break the vicious cycle of child abuse. We speak up for abused children who are lost in the system and guide them into safe environments where they can thrive. A judge appoints Child Advocates to represent the best interests of a child or sibling group in foster care. They serve as the judge’s eyes and ears while the children are in custody, ensuring their unique needs are met until they can safely return home or are permanently placed with a loving relative or adoptive family. Unlike Child Protective Services caseworkers and court-appointed attorneys who juggle overwhelming caseloads, our volunteers represent just one child or sibling group at a time. Their advocacy makes sure no child falls through the cracks of our overburdened child welfare system. Child Advocates volunteers make a profound difference in the lives of the children they serve. Studies show children served by an advocate volunteer are better able to work with others and control deviant behavior than children without an advocate. Also, more parents of these children complete counseling services, psychiatric evaluations, and drug and alcohol counseling than those without an advocate. With Child Advocates’ help, we can break the cycle of child abuse and give more foster children a chance at a better, brighter future.

Friends of CASA (FOCASA) was founded by the Junior League over 30 years ago and began as a small group of dedicated women who planned and executed small fundraising events to support CASA. CASA are a privately-funded non-profit organization that serves severely abused, neglected and abandoned children through the recruitment, training and continued support of volunteers who advocate and mentor these children, representing their best interest in the courtroom and other settings. And CASA OC focuses solely on the kids in our local community. As CASA has grown, so have the Friends of CASA. Today the Friends of CASA members produce the annual Friends of CASA Holiday Luncheon, a fashion show event at The Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel, which raises over $500,000 annually for CASA's cause. In addition to planning exciting fundraising events, Friends of CASA members have the opportunity to attend educational trainings and courthouse tours to learn more about the challenges facing our foster youth. Members also participate in community impact days and volunteer hands-on in the community alongside other Friends of CASA members. To learn more about Friends of CASA please contact Susan Kenny at advancement@casaoc.org.