Court-Appointed Special Advocates are volunteers from many different backgrounds who give their time to advocate for abused and neglected children in the court system. Our program is based on the principle that each child deserves a safe, permanent, nurturing home where they can thrive.
The CASA movement began in 1977 when Judge David Soukup of Seattle, Washington, conceived of the idea of trained community volunteers advocating for abused and neglected children. Judge Soukup felt he did not have sufficient information to make informed decisions in cases involving children. From his vision, CASA has spread across the country. There are now over 900 CASA programs nationwide with over 70,000 child advocates! Since its inception in 1977, CASA volunteers have advocated from more than 1,000,000 abused and neglected children.
There are still abused and neglected children without a voice in the court system. More advocates are needed. Our program operates on the philosophy that one person can truly make a difference by giving their time to a child. Consider giving your time to become "a powerful voice in a child's life."
CASA training is held at least three times a year, starting in February, June, and September. Each training is six sessions. Our next training class will begin on Monday, September 15th from 6-9 p.m. at 621 Humboldt in Manhattan and will continue on Monday nights through October 27th (no training October 6th). Please contact the office if you are interested in becoming a volunteer. You may download our application to print and complete. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the application file.
In addition to core CASA services, Sunflower CASA Project is the umbrella organization for Sunflower Bridge Child Exchange and Visitation Center and Stepping Stones Child Advocacy Center. All of our programs are dedicated to providing high quality services to children in our community.