FAMILY LAW CASA OF KING COUNTY
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Mission Statement
Family Law CASA advocates for children in high-risk custody cases so they have the best possible chance for a safer, more secure home life, significantly reducing the risk of abuse and neglect.
About This Cause
Family Law CASA recruits, screens, trains, supervises and supports community volunteers who become Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA’s). When King County Superior Court encounters cases involving lower-income parents, where they are concerned about a child’s safety and well-being, judges and commissioners can assign those cases to Family Law CASA. These highly-trained community volunteers serve as the critical link between the courts, the families, community services, treatment and the children caught in the middle. A court appointed special advocate (CASA) enters the scene as an impartial observer and researcher, whose sole purpose is to find all available information and make recommendations to the court as to what custodial arrangement will be safest and best for the children in question. By providing judges with a comprehensive account of each child’s life, volunteers (CASA’s) bring clarity and insight to confusing and complex custody cases. “One of the hardest things about this job is that often we are just left with the biased perspective of each parent. Having that independent, neutral view through the eyes of the children is very, very valuable.” - King County Superior Court Judge Our pool of 225 dedicated community volunteers come from all walks of life and complete a three-day, 21-hour intensive training prior to their first case. Volunteers range in age from 21 to 77, and have varied professional, life and work backgrounds. Current advocates include educators, lawyers, fire fighters, security specialists, social workers, IT technicians, nurses, sales reps, bankers, students and retirees to name a few. While each case is unique, an advocate generally spends 60 to 100 hours of their own time, often over a period of six to twelve months, on a single case. The volunteer goes through the following process: Visits the homes and interviews children, parents, other adults in the home as well as teachers, doctors, and those who might provide helpful information. They review background checks, CPS reports, chemical dependency reports and medical or psychological reports. The volunteer asks screening questions during interviews to assess for unreported domestic violence, child abuse, substance abuse and/or mental health concerns. They observe the child's interactions with parents and watch for developmental and educational delays, safety concerns or other unaddressed needs. The volunteer then writes 1-2 comprehensive reports for the court that include recommendations about what services will increase the child’s safety, security and well-being. And finally, the volunteer testifies in court. CASA volunteers are accompanied in court and represented throughout the legal process by a program attorney. Without the research and recommendations of a CASA volunteer, judges would simply have to make decisions in high-risk cases without crucial safety-related information. Critical safety concerns could easily go unnoticed and unaddressed putting the child at increased risk of harm over time. Children’s needs could become blurred by acrimony between parents, and selecting the safest care situation for the child would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. We anticipate advocating for over 230 children this year. The intake capacity has grown from 30 to 120 new cases per year. Most importantly, Family Law CASA volunteers have been assigned to more than 1000 cases with more than 1,700 children benefiting from the research and recommendations of a volunteer advocate giving them a voice in court. The Court sees thousands of cases per year which could utilize a CASA, yet can assign only 10 per month due to current capacity. Long term we hope to provide a CASA to every child who needs a CASA.