CASA of Travis County

Court Appointed Special Advocates, in case you were wondering. That’s what CASA stands for.

As discussed a couple weeks ago when talking with Gena VanOselear of the Austin Children’s Shelter, child abuse and neglect is a growing problem, not just nationally, but here in Central Texas as well. At the end of February this year, 1,092 of the approximate 221,000 minors in Travis County (US Census Bureau) were in the court system for cases of abuse or neglect. While that is just a fraction of the young population, that number certainly does not account for all of the children living in abusive homes. And for all of those children out there, identified or not, their lives can be at times a living hell. No child deserves to be abused or neglected. Not a single one.

“As a community, we will all be paying, literally and figuratively, for the impact of child abuse on adults who experience it.” That is how Laura Wolf, Executive Director of CASA here in Travis County sees it, a view that is backed up by research of adults in the prison and welfare systems. It’s possible that the best chance these children have at succeeding later on in life is to have their best interests represented during the court process. That is exactly what CASA does.

The official term is Guardian Ad Litem, and Casa of Travis County has over 400 volunteers acting in this capacity for cases of neglect and abuse. Those volunteers are able to work with 65 to 70 percent of all the cases in Travis County, giving those children an incredible advantage in reaching a verdict on their case that reflects their best interest.

Best interest – that is the key term.

On top of a guardian ad litem, a child is also assigned an attorney ad litem to represent what the child wants. It may go without saying, however, that what a child wants and what a child needs can at times be in conflict. Many children who are taken out of abusive or neglectful homes simply want to go back. This may be because they cannot imagine that there may be better places for them elsewhere. It could also be because the fear of the unknown can be more fearsome than the fear of being at home. Whatever the case may be, it is the “awesome responsibility” of the CASA to ensure that these children get what they need.

CASAs are, in many cases, the most knowledgeable people about a child’s case. They have access to medical records, they can show up unannounced to the child’s temporary home and even visit with those accused of abusing the child. They see the children at school, they talk to their teachers. Their role is not that of a mentor, but oftentimes that comes into play. Put simply, CASAs may be the only constant that the children have during this alienating and caustic process.

Cases of child abuse and neglect come before a judge 3 to 4 times a year. At this time, CASAs are there in court and are called upon as key witnesses in the case. One local judge refers to them as “the eyes and ears of the court,” because of their intimate knowledge of the issues involved. It seems that verdicts are nearly always affected by the witness of the CASA volunteer, making all of those hours devoted to these children worth every minute.

CASA is not a state or city program. It’s a non-profit organization with over 30 staff and 400 volunteers who care deeply about the young. They get some of their funding from government and city grants, some from foundations, and a whole lot from people like you. Coming up on April 21 is their annual Golf Tournament taking place at Flintrock Falls golf course. You can still get a foursome together, even get on the sponsors list. Lots of more information on the CASA website or email Anna.otsuki@casatravis.org.