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Dear Friend, Welcome to the website for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of St. Louis County! It is with great pleasure that this site is available for unlimited public access to learn more about the important role of CASA volunteers in area children’s futures and to show ways to grow the reach of this critical advocacy service to even more children in need. In the late 1970s, Judge David Soukup was inspired to develop a volunteer-based program that empowered everyday citizens to take active roles in the child welfare system by speaking up for the best interests of abused, neglected and abandoned children. Becoming dissatisfied that he did not get sufficient information to make appropriate renderings, Judge Soukup created the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program so that its highly trained and closely supervised volunteers could assist professionals in the overstressed child welfare system and move children toward permanent living situations with minimal anguish. In 1980, CASA of St. Louis County served as one of the first six CASA programs launched in the United States. Since the program’s inception, volunteers, staff and Board members have been dedicated to providing the highest quality advocacy service to children who are under the jurisdiction of the court due to substantiated maltreatment. CASA volunteers fill a large void in the child welfare system by focusing on only one case at a time. This is extremely critical to an overwhelmed system that was designed to protect children. The tremendous number of children in the foster care system makes this more and more challenging. CASA volunteers serve the best interests of children by advocating for the most appropriate services and reducing the time the children are in care by up to one year. For a child, this can be eternity of wondering where you might be living next. CASA volunteers are amazing people who are everyday folks. They come from all walks of life but share one common interest – to help children who are at pivotal points in their lives by no fault of their own. Imagine having a terrible childhood where you were mistreated so terribly that you were hospitalized. Or, having a neglectful parent that left you questioning when you might eat again. What about a childhood where you ended up raising your brothers and sisters, because your parents left one day and never came back? CASA volunteers help give children who have been dealt a bad hand the first time around see that life sometimes gives you a second chance. CASA volunteers help these kids make the most of this second chance. Thank you for visiting this website, as it shows that you have an interest in helping area kids realize a childhood full of fond memories and a future filled with hope and endless possibilities. If you leave this site feeling inspired by what you learn and moved to take action, we will have successfully shared our vision of a world where every child has a safe and permanent home with one more caring person. Yours truly,
Allie Chang Ray |
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CASA of St. Louis County |
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