ABOUT US

The History of CASA

Texas CASA is part of a national volunteer movement that began in 1975 when a judge in Seattle decided he needed to know more about the children whose lives were in his hands. The solution he started was using community volunteers as a "voice in court" for abused and neglected children. These Court Appointed Special Advocates® (CASA) provided him with the detailed information he needed to safeguard the children's best interests and ensure that they were placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. The program was so successful that it was copied around the nation.

The first CASA program in Texas began in Dallas in 1979. Texas CASA, which was formed in 1989, serves the 69 local CASA programs currently operating statewide by providing funding, training, technical assistance, coordination for program expansion and development,advocacy, and tools and strategies for raising public awareness of child abuse and the need for volunteer advocates.

In a 2008 Judicial Survey, 97% of Texas judges responding reported that the information CASA provides is beneficial to their decision making and 94% said that CASA volunteers provided an opportunity for a better, more positive outcomes for children.
Full survey results are here.