CASA of Forsyth County, Inc.
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Mission Statement
CASA serves abused and neglected children as appointed by Juvenile Court and advocates for the child until the child is in a safe and permanent home.
About This Cause
CASA of Forsyth County provides advocacy to court-involved children who have suffered abuse and or neglect. Our advocates fight for each child’s right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect and to grow in the secure embrace of a permanent family. Our volunteer advocates serve as a child’s guardian ad litem in Juvenile Court proceedings. The advocate promotes services for the child’s physical, medical, emotional and educational well-being during this vulnerable period and serves as a catalyst in the court and child welfare system to ensure that the child is moved into a safe and permanent home as quickly as possible. CASA of Forsyth County, Inc. believes that every child deserves to live in a safe and permanent home. Toward that end, volunteers are recruited, trained and supported to advocate for abused and neglected children. CASA is the only national organization of volunteer advocates who have been trained to speak in court as an independent voice for a child’s best interest. The U.S. Department of Justice has recognized CASA as a model program and view CASA as a safety net for abused and neglected children in an overburdened child welfare system. Our organization is affiliated with both Georgia CASA and National CASA that provide support and require standards and guidelines which our local program meets. CASA of Forsyth County is a community based, independent 501©(3) nonprofit organization that has provided high quality advocacy to abused and neglected children through trained community volunteers since 1994, initially formed under the CASA for Children organization which served Forsyth and Cherokee Counties, and then as CASA of Forsyth County serving only Forsyth County since 2003. CASA of Forsyth County works to ensure children and youth involved in juvenile dependency proceedings have courtroom advocacy, access to services and resources and the individual attention they need to thrive. The Child Abuse Protection and Treatment Act (CAPTA) is a federal law that requires a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) be appointed to obtain a first –hand understanding of the child’s situation and make recommendations to the Court concerning the child’s best interest in Juvenile Court dependency proceedings and to help improve outcomes for children who have experienced this trauma. Many courts had difficulty fulfilling this unfunded federal mandate with the limited resources they had to hire attorney Guardians ad Litem. Even when the court did appoint an attorney, the attorney came to court prepared for the legal issues, but was rarely familiar with developmental and emotional needs of the child victim that was being represented. They simply are not always trained for the “best interest” of children. More information was needed from the child’s perspective in order for the Judge to make a decision that truly served the child. CASA Volunteers change that. As appointed by judges, CASA Volunteers handle just one or two cases at a time and commit to stay on that case until the child is in a safe, permanent and nurturing home where their needs are met. Our CASA Volunteers have the time, training, and commitment to listen carefully to children and to the adults who care for them, and to report their findings and recommendations to the Court. CASA Volunteers act independently, but work closely with DFCS (Division of Family and Children Services) Case Managers, foster parents, teachers, psychiatrists, attorneys and other professionals involved in a child’s case. Thanks to their legal authority as officers of the Court, CASA Volunteers are uniquely positioned to work within the system to help fill in the gaps in the child welfare system to promote safety for children and advocate for services that enhance their recovery from the trauma of the abuse they have experienced.