The Kids

All of the boys and girls we serve are foster children who’ve been removed from their homes and are under the jurisdiction of the Family Court. While the majority of these children live in St. Louis County, we speak up for children placed all across the St. Louis Metro area. The judges and commissioners at the Family Court of St. Louis County welcome CASA volunteers into their courtrooms and have often expressed their desire to appoint CASA volunteers to every case that comes before them.

Judge Michael D. Burton, Administrative Judge of the Family Court of St. Louis County, summed up what CASA adds to the child welfare system by saying, “Judges who preside over care and protection cases rely on receiving current, accurate and thorough information about our children and their parents. Unfortunately, in many cases, the only sources of such information are overworked and overwhelmed social workers and juvenile officers. Accordingly, because of these limitations, some of our decisions are not in the children’s best interests. Fortunately for many children in St. Louis County, there is a CASA program. I have always been impressed with the passion and dedication that the CASA staff and volunteers have for protecting our community’s children. Whenever I have a CASA volunteer involved in one of my cases, I feel assured that my decision is more likely to address the children’s best interests.”

Two national studies show that CASA volunteers make a profound impact on their cases (Youngclarke, Davin M. and Kathleen Ramos and Lorraine Granger-Merkle, 2004 & Caliber Associates, 2004). Cases involving CASA volunteers are more likely to be permanently closed; less than 10% of children with CASA advocates will reenter the child welfare system, preventing further abuse from happening. Children with CASA volunteers are also significantly less likely to enter long-term foster care and more likely to be adopted.