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About Us |
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Our Solution
Our Solution
CASA—Court Appointed Special Advocates. Community members are recruited by Memphis CASA; trained for 32 hours on such topics as child development, child abuse law, juvenile court, and how to advocate for abused and neglected children; and sworn in as official “Friends of the Court” by a Magistrate of Juvenile Court. CASA volunteers are appointed to cases by judges of the court. Once assigned a case, a CASA volunteer begins getting to know the child and investigating everything to do with the child’s life. The CASA volunteer interviews and gathers information from teachers, social workers, mental health providers, extended family, and any others who might hold valuable information to the child’s background and needs. Upon completion of the investigation, the CASA volunteer compiles all the facts in a report and writes an official recommendation, in the child's best interest, for that child’s future. When the case is next heard in court, the volunteer presents his/her report and recommendation to the judge and speaks for the best interests of the child in the courtroom. The CASA stays with that child’s case until a safe, permanent home for the child is secured.
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