When children are taken from their family, due to abuse or neglect, they enter the custody of social services and are put into a foster home. Some of these children are lucky enough to be given a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). "One Child at a Time: The Mission of a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)" shares the experiences of CASAs working to give children a voice in court, and a chance to return to a safe home, or to find a new forever home. First, you will meet Kelly, an engaging three-year-old that told her CASA the first time they met, "The people came and took me away from my mommy and daddy. I was crying and crying. I had to go and see a doctor. The doctor gave me a stuffed animal to make me feel better, but it didn't help." The words of this small child floored the author. She seemed to have a better understanding of her feelings than many children much older. It's no wonder that the author would become Kelly's biggest advocate. The second section of the book is a compilation of experiences and feelings from a variety of CASA volunteers. All kinds of people do this work; the only requirement is a love for children. Volunteers are trained for two weeks before starting a case. Along the way, when questions or concerns arise, each volunteer has a supervisor from the CASA office that they can turn to for advice and a listening ear. The joy of seeing a child find the happiness and security each one deserves is an experience that fills a CASA's heart with their own joy and happiness. It is the reason CASAs become hooked from the moment they take a case and meet their children.

Features the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association, an organization for trained community volunteers who speak for the best interests of children in court. Notes that the national headquarters of CASA is located in Seattle, Washington. Posts contact information via mailing address, toll-free telephone number, and e-mail. Contains information on volunteering for the program and other ways to help. Provides a directory of state CASA programs. Offers real stories about volunteer experiences. Links to other children's organizations and supporters' home pages.

This volume collects the personal experiences of the volunteers who serve across the nation as Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). The CASA program trains ordinary people to become advocates for children, to learn all they can about an individual child and his individual troubles and struggles, and to report back to a judge about what the child needs as fairly and clearly as possible. This book shares CASA volunteers' tears and joys, their trials and triumphs, as they speak from the heart about the important role they play in the lives of children. (GCP).

The U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention offers the full text of an article entitled "Court Appointed Special Advocates: A Voice for Abused and Neglected Children in Court." The article discusses the history of the court appointed special advocate (CASA) program, how the program helps, the role of CASA, and training.