CASA of River Valley seeks to draw from community resources to provide and support advocates, whose goal is to reduce the physical, emotional, intellectual, and social impacts of abuse and neglect experienced by children involved in the Will and Grundy County Judicial Systems due to no fault of their own. They do this by recruiting and training volunteers to act as the voice of the child, provide needed information to the court, and work toward a more restorative juvenile court process.
CASA serves as the only organization in the community that trains volunteers to be Guardians ad Litem. The court appoints these volunteers to advocate for the child’s best interest, with the goal to “Change a Child’s Story.™”
CASA: Court Appointed Special Advocate program
In Will and Grundy Counties, hundreds of children enter the Juvenile Justice Systems every year due to abuse and neglect. CASA of River Valley helps these children recover from the traumas they’ve endured and find safe, permanent, loving homes where they can prosper. They stay with each child until his/her case is closed and the child is placed into a safe, permanent home with hope for a positive future.
Since 1994, the organization has served over 3,000 children. More than 90 percent of the children they serve come from low income families. But whatever their background, every child entering the court system needs representation.
CASA of River Valley devotes countless hours to making a profound impact on these children, leading to many positive stories of reuniting with family members or finding their way out of abusive homes. In cooperation with our volunteers, partners and the community, CASA also achieves the following results for children:
- More than 300 children in Will and Grundy Counties receive representation from CASA each year; currently CASA is able to serve 54% of children in need.
- Children with CASA spend an average of eight months fewer in foster care than those without representation.
- The children they serve are also less likely to re-enter the foster care system.
Spotlight Guest: Megan Pennington, Advocate Supervisor