CASA of the 14th Judicial District

1300 Hwy 62-65 North

Harrison, Arkansas 72601

870-743-2212     800-798-9157

There are 675,622 children under 18 in Arkansas. Many of them face substantial challenges every day.

State Statistics Children Living in Poverty (2006) - 164,545 Children Not Covered by Health Insurance at Any Time in 2006 - 65,000 Children’s Health Care Covered by Government Assistance (2006) - 313,000 Children Reported Abused (2005) - 23,120 2 Year Olds Not Immunized (2006) - 10,829 (27.8%) Child Abuse Deaths (2000-2005) - 86 3-4 Year Olds Not Enrolled in a nursery school, pre-school, or pre-kindergarten education program (2006) - 39,547 (49.6%) % of 4th Graders Scoring below Basic Reading Levels (2007) - 36

CASA Fact Sheet

What is a CASA volunteer?

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained and dedicated volunteer of your local community who is appointed by a judge to represent the best interests and to be a voice for abused and neglected children in our local foster care system.

What is the CASA volunteer’s role?

Once a CASA volunteer is assigned a case, essentially they become the eyes and ears for the court.  The CASA volunteer investigates all the pieces of the puzzle, while trying to provide the court with a clear picture about the child and the child’s best interest.

How does a CASA volunteer investigate a case?

A CASA volunteer will work with all the parties of the case by conducting interviews of the family, counselors, schools, etc. They will document all facts, professional opinions, and written records; and maintain contact with all parties to ensure that the child’s needs are being met in a timely and appropriate manner.  The volunteer will use all this information gathered and provide a report to the judge with their facts, concerns and recommendations that will serve in the best interest of the child.

How does the role of a CASA volunteer differ from an attorney?

The CASA volunteer does not provide legal representation.  That is the role of the attorney. However, the CASA volunteer does provide crucial background information that assists attorneys in presenting their cases.

Is there a “typical” CASA volunteer?

Only in the regards that all our volunteers have the core desire to help a child in need, our volunteers consist of men, women, young and old, some are full time employees, retirees, business owners, students, employers, factory workers, and housewives.  All come from various backgrounds with different strengths and perspectives, but with the same passion and dedication this program seeks.

How effective are CASA volunteers?

Research shows that children who have been assigned a CASA volunteer, tend to spend less time within the foster care system, than those who have not had a CASA volunteer.  Judges have observed that CASA children also have better chances of finding permanent homes than non-CASA children.

How much time does it require?

 A CASA volunteer usually spends an average of 10-15 hrs a month doing research, conducting interviews and meeting with their children.  Although each case is unique, the time spent working the case is quite flexible.

How is CASA funded?

CASA receives matching grant monies from the State CASA program, but relies heavily on our private and corporate donations. We can help these children only through the generosity and volunteerism from people like you.