In Support of Reauthorization of Federal Funding to Expand Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs (CASA)
Resolution 5 In Support of Reauthorization of Federal Funding to Expand Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs (CASA)
The Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators recognize the importance of securing safe and permanent homes for children and the importance of moving children in state custody to permanent and safe homes as quickly as possible through the efficient and effective handling of child abuse and neglect cases.
Courts are charged with ensuring accountability of the system responsible for protecting abused and neglected children. Courts, children's services agencies, and other governmental agencies cannot fully address the needs of abused and neglected children without complete information regarding their cases and circumstances.
Citizen volunteer advocates in CASA programs form a one-to-one relationship with a child in the child welfare system, gather information to obtain a full understanding of the child's life, and provide the courts with critical information to assist in making decisions that are in the best interests of the child.
According to the National CASA Association's 2016 Annual Report, there were 938 state and local CASA programs with 86,995 CASA volunteers who provided 2.6 million hours of service to children that year. In 2016, CASA volunteer advocates served 280,316 children, while an additional 402,684 children in the child welfare system would have benefitted from their services.
Federal funding has been critical to the expansion of CASA programs so that more children in the child welfare system can be served. Federal funding to support the CASA programs is due for reauthorization in FY 2018.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators urge Congress to reauthorize federal funding of the CASA programs at the current fully authorized level of $12 million.
Adopted as proposed by the CCJ/COSCA Courts, Children, and Families Committee at the 2018 Midyear Meeting on January 31, 2018.