BE A CASA AND MAKE A LIFELONG DIFFERENCE FOR AN ABUSED OR NEGLECTED CHILD.
The Mission of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Barbara County (CASA) is to assure a safe, permanent, nurturing home for every abused and/or neglected child by providing a highly trained volunteer to advocate for them in the court system.

Description:
CASA programs provide the only volunteer opportunity that empowers everyday citizens as an appointed officer of the court. In an overburdened social welfare system, abused and neglected children often slip through the cracks as one of hundreds of cases.

CASA volunteers can change that. Trained by CASA and appointed by judges, volunteers handle just one case at a time. While others may come and go, CASA volunteers provide that one constant that children need to thrive. A CASA volunteer is that child's voice in the legal system.

The need for volunteer advocates is urgent. In northern Santa Barbara County we have 101 children on the waiting list for a CASA. 54 of these children are in Santa Maria. With your help and commitment we can change that, and make sure that every child that needs an advocate has someone looking out for them.

We provide the state mandated training - In Santa Maria training will begin April 15th, 2008 and continue with training of April26th and May 10th. We are currently accepting volunteer applications to fill this class.

History:
CASA began in 1977 in Seattle when a judge conceived the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interest of abused and neglected children in court. It was so successful that it soon spread across the country, as more judges began to use citizen advocates.

CASA has been in Santa Barbara County for nearly 20 years, helping to assure the best interests of our children who, through no fault of their own, have become dependents of the court for their protection.

Contact person: Kim Davis, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (805) 739-9152

Address:

120 East Jones St. Santa Maria, CA 93454 (See a map)

Directions:

We are located across the parking lot from the Children's Museum, in the former Coca Cola Building.   Nearest Bus Stop: Town Center Mall, 2 minute walk