CASA of Baltimore's mission is to provide a voice for children involved in the juvenile court system, ensuring that abused and neglected children are placed in safe, permanent homes and that consideration is given to their educational, medical and social service needs. This mission is accomplished through the recruitment, training, support and professional supervision of volunteers who, after appointment by the court,advocate for the best interests of the child.

Description:
We recruit volunteers to work as Court Appointed Special Advocates for children who have been removed from their homes, through neglect and/or abuse. Our volunteers, after a period of training, act as the eyes and ears of the judge to assist in making certain the child's needs are met by the state agencies who have removed him from his unhealthy environment.

History:
The honorable David B. Mitchell, then Administrative Judge of the Juvenile Division of the Circuit Court of Baltimore City, established CASA of Baltimore, Inc., in 1988. The program, which was originally operated by the University of Maryland School of Social Work and then as a program of Advocates for Children and Youth, Inc. became an independent agency in 1995. In the spring of 1998, several issues, including declining financial resources, led CASA of Baltimore's Board of Directors to initiate a reorganization to revitalize the program. Broad support for the continuation of the program, the need, particularly in Baltimore City for this type of program, and past successes, played a key role in the Montgomery County CASA Board of Directors' unanimous decision in September, 1998 to assume temporary responsibility for the Baltimore CASA program. CASA of Baltimore retained its legal status as an independent agency and functioned as a separate entity while it built a Baltimore-based Board of Directors. CASA of Baltimore assumed independence from Montgomery County CASA effective July 1, 2001.

Contact people:

Cindy Griner, Office Manager, (phone), (email) Linda Koban, Assistant Director, (phone), (email) Susan Burger, Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Address:

PO Box 13004 Baltimore, MD 21203

Directions:

Call if needed