CASA of Portage County works to train and support Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers. This work is essential to our core mission that every child who has experienced abuse or neglect should have a voice, a safe and loving home, and the opportunity to thrive.

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for children’s best interest in cases of abuse and neglect. They stay with each case until it is closed and the child is in a safe, permanent home. We serve children from birth through the age defined by state statute as the limit to youth remaining in care.

Volunteers work with legal and child welfare professionals, educators and service providers to ensure that judges have all the information they need to make the most well-informed decisions for each child.

Our best-interest advocacy is driven by the guiding principle that children grow and develop best with their family of origin, if that can be safely achieved. Most of the children we work with are in foster care, but some are with their family of origin. And, most children who leave foster care do so to return to their family.