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Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children Going Through the….
October 19, 2020 @ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm CDT
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children Going Through the Dependency System
Tamara Blake, Ed.D. Assistant Professor, Counseling Department, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Washington DC Campus
Sommer Danfelt, Forensic Psychology: Professional Counselor Licensure Track Student, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Washington, D.C. Campus
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are volunteers who assist children going through the child welfare/dependency system. When children have been abused or neglected by their parents/caregivers and the state is notified about this, children are placed in the child dependency system and are under supervision of the courts. CASA volunteers are then assigned to these children to be their voice in court, to support them throughout this whole process, and to advocate for the child’s rights. Over the years, research has shown that children who are appointed a CASA volunteer have a better likelihood of finding a permanent home, receive more resources, and develop a strong, meaningful relationship with an adult figure. Therefore, CASA volunteers have become increasingly needed and valued in the legal system, especially when the number of foster children continues to increase.