SULLIVAN COUNTY – Every child deserves to feel safe, loved and heard. Yet nearly 15,000 children in New York are removed from their home and placed into foster or kinship care due to abuse and neglect each year. 

In these critical moments, when decisions are made that shape a child’s future, it is essential that Family Court Judges truly understand the child’s story. This is where Court Appointed Special Advocates – otherwise known as CASA vounteers –step in. 

CASA is powered by dedicated professional staff and compassionate community volunteers who are sworn in by Family Court Judges to monitor and advocate for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. 

How to become a CASA

For more information or to apply to be a CASA volunteer, please contact Alexa Sullivan. She can be reached at 845-372-8771 x3002 or send her an email to casa@drcservices.org.

Our free training begins April 29th, and we invite community members to learn more by visiting our website, www.casanys.org, and finding your local program. 

What do CASAs do?

CASA volunteers take the time to build relationships with children, listening to their hopes, fears, and dreams. They speak with teachers, family members, and others involved in the child’s life to piece together a full picture of what the child needs. 

In an overwhelmed child welfare system, the details CASA volunteers provide help judges make best interest decisions - giving each child the greatest possible chance for a safe, loving, and permanent home. 

At CASA, we believe every child deserves stability and the opportunity to grow in a nurturing environment. 

Research from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child shows that the most common factor in building resilience in a child is through a stable relationship with a supportive adult. Yet too many children across our state are still waiting for an advocate to stand by their side.

As Former Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye so beautifully put it, “CASA is a wonderful example of how ordinary citizens can contribute to the well-being of their communities by brightening the future, one child at a time.”

Becoming a CASA volunteer is a powerful way to change a child’s life - and your own. 

You can be that person. You can make a difference. Become a CASA volunteer. 

A child is waiting for you.