CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) For Children - Capital Regional District Victoria BC Canada

For more information please visit our website here. http://www.casaforchildren.ca/

Problem

Leadership Victoria (LV) is a community-based, voluntary organization committed to developing, supporting, recognizing and honoring outstanding community leaders. LV’s mission statement is: “To develop well-informed leaders who are passionately engaged in building a vibrant community.” A group of participants in the September 2008 - June 2009 cohort shared a passion for helping children at risk. The LV group thought that the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) model from the U.S.A. could fulfill their mission of making a lasting difference to children and young people in the Victoria area while filling a need in the community. The group found, through their research, interviews, and outreach, that local and provincial stakeholders agreed that there were significant gaps in British Columbia’s child welfare system.

Solution

The US approach filled an obvious gap in the child welfare system by providing a 'voice' for the child. The positive effects of this approach have a proven track record as CASAforChildren has existed in the US since 1977 as a result of a Family Judge being dissatisfied with the information he was receiving about the child from the authorities.

Example

A screened and trained volunteer is appointed by the Court when they want more in depth information about a child,prior to making what are often life altering decisions. The volunteer report is child focused, reflecting the child's' wishes were appropriate. When necessary the volunteer will advocate strenuously on behalf of the child. See CASAforChildren website (www.CASAforChildren.ca) for further information on the role of the volunteer.

Marketplace

CASA’s mission is “to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes”. Visit National Casa's website at www.nationalcasa.org and the local website at www.CASAforChildren.ca for further information. CasaforChildren of Greater Victoria is the first international 'provisional' member of National CASA, and the first in Canada.