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Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

Children need a stable, safe, and nurturing home in which to grow up, but not all children have such a home. Some children end up in the foster care system, while services to reunify them with their biological parents or legal procedures to free them for adoption are implemented.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are volunteers appointed by Family Court judges and supervised by MHA of Westchester who advocate for timely and appropriate permanency planning for children in foster care. CASA Volunteers make recommendations to the Court regarding needed services for each child and family to make the dream of a safe and permanent home a reality.

Is it for me?

The presiding Family Court judge assigns CASA Volunteers to children in foster care.

Any person involved in a foster child's life can request CASA advocacy by writing directly to the Family Court judge.

For information about the CASA program, please call Jackie Boissonnault, Program Director, at 914-345-3993, extension 208 or contact our Information and Referral Service at 914-345-5900, extension 240 or e-mail us at help@mhawestchester.org.

What We Deliver

CASA Volunteers review the court records of a child in foster care as assigned by the presiding Family Court judge. They talk to all the parties involved in the child’s life, meet with the child and prepare a report prior to court hearings. The report, presented to the judge and attorneys involved with the child’s case, describes the status of the permanency plan, identifies barriers to services outlined in the Court Order, and offers recommendations to the court regarding the needs of the child and family. CASA Volunteers pay special attention to any unmet educational, mental health, or physical needs a child may have.

Our CASA group is part of a national network. For more information about this network, visit the national CASA Association web site at http://www.casanet.org or CASA: Advocates for the Children of New York State at http://www.casanys.org.

Where

Most cases are heard at White Plains Family Court, though some are heard in the Yonkers Family Court. CASA Volunteers gather information about a child’s case through telephone contacts and face-to-face visits with the child, biological and foster parents, caseworkers and anyone involved in the child’s life. All interactions take place in Westchester County.

When

Except for an occasional telephone call, most CASA business and all Family Court sessions are conducted during the usual business hours, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Languages Spoken

Services are available in English and Spanish.

Se habla Español.

Cost

CASA is a free service to children in foster care.

Staff/Service Providers

The Program Director is a master’s level social worker and is responsible for all program services. Supervisors with experience volunteering for CASA assist sixty volunteers with their assigned cases.

Click here to learn how you can become a CASA Volunteer.

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