CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Oceana & Newaygo County are specially trained volunteers who provide a powerful voice in the court system for children who have been removed from their home because of abuse or neglect. Every child has the right to a safe, permanent and caring home. Many of these children live in foster care or with relatives because it is not safe to return home. Most of them will end up in court. Their only "crime" is that they have been victims.

CASAs are ordinary people making extra-ordinary contributions to the lives of abused and neglected children. They are citizen volunteers, specially trained and appointed by Family Court judges to speak up for these most vulnerable children. A CASA volunteer works in partnership with attorneys and foster care workers as appointed officers of the court. The CASA takes time to find out as much as possible about the child from relatives, neighbors, teachers and friends, and provides objective information to the Family Court judge. The CASA may be the only consistent adult a child has contact with during their case, which can last up to two years.

Click here to read A CASA Story.