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Frequently Asked Questions

What is CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County?

CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) Child Advocates of Montgomery County is the only recognized not-for-profit organization whose primary role is to train and supervise volunteers who are appointed by the court to ensure a child’s voice is heard while involved in the child welfare system. CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County is an affiliated member of the National CASA/GAL Association network with 933 chapters in all 50 states.

What is a Child Advocate?

Whenever a child enters the child welfare system due to allegations of abuse or neglect, a CASA volunteer (also known as a Guardian ad Litem) may be appointed by a judge to advocate for the child and family. In Montgomery County, courts with this jurisdiction ask CASA to provide a trained volunteer Advocate. The CASA Advocate amplifies the child’s voice in court, and looks out for the best interests of the child including their medical welfare, psychological welfare, education, and housing.

Last year, 350 Montgomery County Advocates served 680 abused and neglected children in the foster care system – 100% of children in need! CASA volunteers are everyday citizens who have undergone screening and training with our local office in Conroe.

What is the role of a Child Advocate?

After being assigned as a Guardian ad Litem, an Advocate researches the background of the child to form the basis of sound decisions about the child’s future. The Advocate works with Child Protective Services to understand the reasons for removal of the child and to ensure that the child’s best interests are being met while in care.

CASA volunteers stay by a child’s side throughout the case, advocating first for reunification when safe and possible. If reunification is not safe or possible, CASA volunteers will advocate for the child to be adopted by, or live with, other relatives or family friends. If that is also not possible, CASA volunteers will work towards adoption by a non-relative.

No matter what, CASA volunteers will keep in contact with the support network until the case closes so that everyone continues to put the child’s best interests first.

How does a Child Advocate differ from a CPS Caseworker?

CASA Child Advocates typically have only one or two cases at a time. Advocates are volunteers who get to know the child, as well as the parents and family members.

CPS Caseworkers are assigned to multiple cases where they monitor and act on the children’s needs and monitor the parent’s progress in achieving necessary skills and other goals. Caseworkers often have many cases concurrently and are not able to monitor to the same depth as a volunteer Advocate.

How does an Advocate differ from a child’s attorney?

The Advocate does not provide legal representation or advice; that is the role of the Child’s attorney. Advocates often interact more frequently with the children than the attorney. By providing the attorney with crucial background information, Advocates assist the attorney in their representation of the child in the court. The Advocates also testify independently of the Child’s attorney.

What services does an Advocate provide for Children?

Advocates help CPS and other involved caregivers provide needed services for the children by understanding the child’s needs. These services range from meeting medical and psychological needs to therapeutic and rehabilitative services. Advocates ensure the child’s voice is heard in court, and can bring service shortcomings to the attention of the judge, who can order that the necessary services be provided. As the only agency providing trained volunteers to serve in this role, CASA Child Advocates partner with other agencies to provide quality of life experiences for children such as annual picnics, holiday parties, and tickets to entertainment events.

How do the legal system and child welfare system view CASA?

CASA Child Advocates has been endorsed by the American Bar Association, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice. CASA volunteers provide valuable information to the judge and others involved in the case to help ensure a child’s best interest is being met.

Does CASA of Montgomery County have specific goals? Are they being met?

Our goal is to continue to provide a court–appointed Advocate to serve as Guardian ad Litem for every child who needs us and break the cycle of abuse in our community, one child at a time.

CASA always needs more volunteers to adequately meet this objective. Currently, we are able to assign volunteer Advocates or paid staff to approximately 100% of the cases before the courts in Montgomery County this year. About 6 children enter the child welfare system in Montgomery County each week. Continuous recruitment, training, and support of volunteers will help us ensure that we are able to continue to provide an Advocate for every single child. 

Is CASA of Montgomery County effective in reducing child abuse?

Besides addressing a child’s best interest, the goal of most cases is to change the child’s home environment so that the cycle of abuse and neglect will be broken for that family. Parents are required to be evaluated and trained to improve their positive parenting skills. If reunification is possible, the Advocate monitors the home environment for a period of time to ensure a safe and nurturing environment.

A CASA volunteer works to ensure a child’s best interest is being met by:

  • Identifying and addressing risks to the child’s safety and well-being,
  • Identifying supportive people in the child’s life that CASA can work with to promote safety and well-being for the child during their time in care,
  • Ensuring appropriate physical and mental health assessments are completed and that the child’s needs are understood by the family and everyone involved in the case through a trauma-informed approach, and
  • Verifying educational assessments are completed and educational supports are in place.
Does every child in the court system have an Advocate?

No, not all children need an Advocate. Some children are able to move in with another family member, or require special care in a facility capable of providing the level of care that they require. Most children who have experienced abuse or neglect do need an Advocate. Fortunately, CASA is currently able to provide an Advocate to 100% of cases before the courts in Montgomery County. However, more than 6 children enter foster care in our county EACH WEEK. Our work continues, and we are in urgent need of new volunteers in order to continue to provide an Advocate for every single child in need.

What does it take to be a volunteer CASA Advocate?

You must be an adult who cares about the well-being of children, who is interested in learning how to do basic investigations and is willing to amplify a child’s voice in court. After a background check, you will be given training and after you have been assigned a case, a CASA supervisor will work with you to support you and to guide you through the process. To find out more, call us at 936-441-5437 or email us at volunteer@CASASpeaks4Kids.com

Where does CASA get the funding?

CASA of Montgomery  County has a 501(c) (3) classification from the federal government and is a registered non-profit charity. As such, CASA depends on the generosity of the public in the way of individual, corporate, and foundation support. All contributions to CASA are tax deductible.

Why is CASA Montgomery County not a part of United Way?

At this time, CASA of Montgomery County is not a member of any United Way and does not receive any money from the United Way. We have a good relationship with our local United Way leadership and consider the United Way a partner in serving our communities. Currently, our local United Way has informed us that they are not accepting any applications for new member agencies.

Who are the largest financial supporters of CASA?

Several corporations have named CASA as a focus of their nonprofit support. In recent years, CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County has also received financial support from Huntsman Corporation, TETRA Technologies, Bayside Printing, The Simmons Foundation, The Watford Family Foundation, The Houston Endowment, Northside Lexus, and many others. Last year, CASA Child Advocates received two large grants from federal and state agencies which are aimed at supporting victims of crimes.

Where does the donated money go to?

Just like a church or other charitable organization, CASA employs a staff to recruit, train, and support volunteers. Donations from all sources go to support the staff and maintain a physical office that staff and volunteers use as a training and meeting facility. It currently costs $1,500 to provide a child with a volunteer Advocate for one year.

CASA’s budget is developed, approved, and monitored by a volunteer Board of Directors consisting of community leaders. All income and expenses for the organization must pass an annual audit by an independent CPA and meet all requirements for a non-profit established by the IRS. CASA of Montgomery County must also meet the standards of quality annual audits by the Texas State and National CASA organizations.

How are donations stewarded? Who provides oversight of the donated funds? 

CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County has an all volunteer Board of Directors of community leaders who meet bi-monthly and are responsible for the financial and operational health of the organization.