How do CASA Volunteers make a difference?

Study after study indicates that without appropriate intervention, abused and neglected children are much more vulnerable than their peers to drug abuse, teen pregnancy, mental illness, homelessness, unemployment and crime.  The Honorable William A. Thorne Jr., Utah Court of Appeals, who served on the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care, has stated that “…a CASA volunteer can be an invaluable part of correctly identifying the problem and correctly identifying the solutions…we need the fresh perspective a CASA volunteer can bring”.  In 2005, The National CASA Association engaged Organizational Research Services to conduct a national survey of Family Court Judges.  Overall, 550 Judges agreed that the work of CASA Volunteers is “high quality, beneficial to judicial decision-making and beneficial to the children and families served.”  The Judges also reported that CASA Volunteers’ activities have been “very useful” in their decisions about case outcomes and “very effective” in activities that support Court processes.  They find Volunteers “most effective” in considering the best interests of the child and in monitoring the case.