ADVOCACY

The Illinois Association of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is leading efforts to increase support to Illinois abused and neglected children through the provision of Court Appointed Special Advocates for each child.  A CASA is a trained volunteer who serves as an advocate in the court system interacting with the child and providing information in the child’s best interest directly to the court.  Operating under careful guidelines established by National CASA for an intensive and ongoing commitment to the child, volunteers in Illinois are serving just over 4,000 children each year. The actual need, however, is about seven times greater.  Illinois is one of only six states that do not fund CASA programs.

Once again, in 2009, PCA Illinois will support an appropriation to improve and expand the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program in Illinois.