What Is a CASA Volunteer? Role, Requirements, and Impact

A child in foster care may cycle through three caseworkers, two schools, and four placements in a single year. Each new adult in the process carries a caseload of dozens. Each transition means retelling the same story to someone who is still reading the file. Somewhere in that rotation, the child’s own voice gets quieter, not because they stop talking, but because no one has the time and the mandate to listen to only them.

That is the gap a CASA volunteer fills. A Court Appointed Special Advocate is a trained community member, appointed by a judge, whose entire focus is one child or one sibling group. At Let It Be Us, we work alongside CASA advocates across Illinois because we see what happens when a child has a consistent adult in their corner: permanency comes faster, and the transition out of foster care looks different. This guide covers what CASA volunteers do, what it takes to become one, and how the work connects to the broader child welfare system in Illinois.

Let It Be Us partners regularly with Illinois CASA as our Executive Director, Dr. Susan A. McConnell, is on the board of directors for Illinois CASA.

What Is a CASA Volunteer?

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. The role was created in 1977 when a Seattle juvenile court judge recognized that the children appearing in his courtroom needed an independent voice, someone who was not employed by the child welfare agency, not representing a parent’s legal interests, and not managing thirty other cases at the same time [1].

Today, CASA programs operate in 49 states, with more than 96,000 active volunteers nationally [2]. In some jurisdictions, the role goes by a different name: guardian ad litem, or GAL. The titles vary, but the function is the same. Both are court-appointed volunteers who advocate exclusively for what is best for the child.

What sets CASA apart from every other role in the foster care system is the assignment model. Each volunteer is assigned to only one or two children, or one sibling group, at a time. They stay involved from the day they are appointed until the child reaches permanency, whether that means reunification with their family, placement with a relative, or adoption. In a system where turnover is constant, the advocate is often the most consistent adult in a child’s life.

What Does a CASA Volunteer Actually Do?

The core of the work is information gathering. The advocate pieces together a full picture of a child’s situation by talking to the people closest to the case and reviewing everything on file. That picture then goes to the judge in the form of a written report and, often, direct testimony at hearings.

Day-to-day responsibilities include:

• Visiting the child regularly and building a relationship over time
• Interviewing foster parents, teachers, therapists, and counselors
• Talking with the child’s caseworker and biological family members (when appropriate)
• Reviewing school records, medical records, and case files
• Writing detailed reports for the court before each hearing
• Attending court hearings and presenting recommendations to the judge
• Monitoring whether court-ordered services are actually being delivered
• Flagging unmet needs, whether educational, medical, or emotional, to the court and to involved professionals

The thread through all of it is focus. A caseworker may carry 20 or 30 cases. An attorney represents a legal position. The court-appointed advocate carries one child’s story and brings it to the people making decisions.

How Is a CASA Volunteer Different from a Caseworker or Attorney?

These three roles overlap in a courtroom, but they serve fundamentally different functions. Confusing them is common and worth clearing up.

The key difference is independence. A caseworker implements the agency’s case plan. An attorney advocates for the client’s expressed wishes (or, depending on the jurisdiction, the child’s best interests from a legal perspective). The volunteer advocate is appointed by the court and advocates only on behalf of the child. They have no caseload pressure, no institutional mandate, and no reason to recommend anything other than what they believe serves the child best.

That independence matters most during contested hearings, when the agency, the parents, and sometimes the young person’s own attorney disagree about what should happen next. The advocate provides the judge with a perspective rooted in direct observation rather than case management.

The Impact a CASA Volunteer Makes

National CASA/GAL Association data documents measurable differences for children who have a volunteer advocate. Those children are more likely to find a safe, permanent home, more likely to succeed in school, and half as likely to re-enter the foster care system [3].

The outcomes trace back to something practical: consistency. A child moving through multiple placements loses continuity with nearly every adult involved in their care. The volunteer is the exception. They stay with the case from appointment to closure, which means they accumulate months or years of context that no other participant in the system can match.

That continuity shows up in court reports. An advocate who has visited a child monthly for a year can describe changes in behavior, track whether recommended services are working, and identify patterns that a quarterly review would miss. Judges cite this depth of knowledge as one of the reasons CASA recommendations carry weight in the courtroom.

Who Can Become a CASA Volunteer?

No special degree or professional background is required. CASA programs welcome applicants from all walks of life and every professional background [2]. The baseline requirements are accessible:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Be able to speak, read, and write English
• Pass background checks and provide references
• Complete a minimum of 30 hours of pre-service training
• Be willing to participate in an interview as part of the screening process

The pre-service training is substantial. More than 30 hours of instruction cover the child welfare system, courtroom procedures, cultural competency, child development, and advocacy techniques. After that initial training, volunteers complete an additional 12 hours of continuing education each year to stay current.

Programs train more than 24,000 new advocates annually across the country [4]. The people who tend to thrive in the role share a few qualities that no training program can teach: patience with a slow-moving system, comfort sitting with hard stories, and the ability to build trust with a young person who has good reason not to trust adults easily.

Time Commitment: What to Expect

CASA is a meaningful volunteer commitment, and programs are upfront about that. On average, active volunteers spend 15 to 20 hours per month on a case. That time breaks down across several activities.

The monthly hours are not evenly distributed. Early in a case, when you are meeting everyone involved and reviewing records, the time investment tends to run higher. Once relationships are established and court schedules settle into a rhythm, the workload becomes more predictable.

Cases last about a year and a half on average. Programs ask volunteers to stay with a case until it closes, because continuity is central to the value you provide. Switching advocates mid-case creates exactly the kind of disruption the program exists to prevent.

If you are weighing whether you can commit, the honest framing is this: CASA is not a few hours on a weekend. It asks for regular, sustained involvement over a period of months. For many volunteers, the depth of that involvement is also what makes the work meaningful.

CASA Volunteers and the Foster Care System in Illinois

In Illinois, CASA advocates play a particular role in the pathway from foster care to permanency. When an advocate identifies a child whose case goal has shifted from reunification to adoption, they become one of the first people to recognize that the child needs a permanent family, and they are positioned to act on that knowledge.

Let It Be Us is contracted with DCFS to manage the Adoption Listing Service of Illinois and the Heart Gallery of Illinois, which means we work directly with the children CASA advocates are championing. CASA advocates can refer adoption-eligible cases directly to our adoption recruiters through our CASA referral page, connecting children with pre-screened families who are specifically open to adopting teens, older youth, sibling groups, and children with complex medical or behavioral needs.

That referral pathway matters because it closes a gap. An advocate may know a child for a year or more before the case goal changes to adoption. They understand that young person’s personality, preferences, and needs in ways that a fresh case file cannot capture. When that knowledge reaches a recruitment team that maintains relationships with families already prepared for the realities of older-child adoption, matches happen with more context on both sides.

For foster families in Illinois considering adoption through foster care, understanding the advocate’s role can also inform your own experience. If a CASA is assigned to the child placed in your home, they are there to support that child’s wellbeing, and that support often extends to making sure the placement itself is stable and well-resourced. Our guide to obtaining the necessary training to foster children with trauma covers how to work effectively within the broader team of professionals surrounding a child in care.

How We Support the Children CASA Volunteers Advocate For

At Let It Be Us, our work intersects with CASA at every stage of a child’s journey through the foster care system. We recruit and support foster families across Illinois through three core service lines.

Foster parent recruitment and pre-licensing support. We help individuals and families decide whether fostering is right for them through free educational webinars, one-on-one coaching, and connections to licensing agencies across the state. Our Foster Care Licensing Support Program walks prospective families through what to expect before they begin the licensing process.

Emergency placement matching. When a child needs a home within hours, our Open Home Navigator Platform searches a proprietary database of licensed and open foster homes to find the right fit. CASA advocates working with children in emergency situations can contact us to help locate available placements.

Long-term adoption placement. For children whose permanency goal has shifted to adoption, we manage the Adoption Listing Service of Illinois and the Heart Gallery of Illinois under a DCFS contract. These programs match children with families who are prepared for the specific needs of the child, whether that means a teenager, a sibling group, or a child with complex medical needs.

Your foster care and/or foster care adoption journey can start today. Complete this form to begin your journey. You can also attend a free Let It Be Us webinar to learn more with no pressure and no commitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a CASA volunteer the same as a foster parent?

No. A foster parent provides a home and daily care for a child in foster care. A court-appointed advocate speaks for the child’s wellbeing in court. The two roles are complementary. The advocate may visit a child in their foster home, but they do not provide housing, supervision, or direct caregiving.

Do you need legal or social work experience to be a CASA volunteer?

You do not. Programs accept applicants from all professional backgrounds and provide more than 30 hours of pre-service training before assigning a case. The training covers everything from court procedures to child development.

How long does a CASA case last?

About a year and a half on average. Cases close when the child achieves permanency, whether that is reunification with their family, placement with a relative, or adoption. Volunteers are asked to stay with the case until it closes.

What is the difference between CASA and GAL?

The terms refer to the same function. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and GAL (guardian ad litem) are both court-appointed volunteers who advocate for a child’s best interests. The title used depends on the state or jurisdiction.

How do I find a CASA program in Illinois?

Illinois CASA lists local programs, which serve 87 of the state’s 102 counties, on its program locations page. The National CASA/GAL Association also maintains a searchable directory at nationalcasagal.org that lets you find local programs by zip code. You can also contact your county courthouse to ask about the CASA or GAL program serving your area.

References

[1] National CASA/GAL Association for Children. "History." nationalcasagal.org, 2023. https://nationalcasagal.org/about-us/history/

[2] Voices for CASA Children. "What Is A CASA Volunteer and What Do They Do?" voicesforcasachildren.org, 2024. https://voicesforcasachildren.org/what-is-a-casa/

[3] National CASA/GAL Association for Children. "Our Impact." nationalcasagal.org, 2021. https://nationalcasagal.org/our-impact/

[4] National CASA/GAL Association for Children. "The CASA/GAL Model." nationalcasagal.org, 2023. https://nationalcasagal.org/our-work/the-casa-gal-model/

Continue Reading:

Transracial Adoption: What Families Should Know Before They Begin National Foster Care Month: What Let It Be Us Is Doing to Support Children and Families I See It Every Time: The Quiet Greatness of People Who Open Their Homes to Children