A CASA volunteer is a trained, court-appointed community member who advocates for a single child, or a sibling group, caught in an abuse or neglect case. If you’re asking what a CASA volunteer does, the short version is this: they investigate the child’s circumstances, write reports that go directly to the judge, and follow up to make sure the services a court orders actually reach the child. Federal law requires a guardian ad litem or trained advocate in every child abuse or neglect case that reaches court, and CASA volunteers fill that role in hundreds of thousands of cases each year.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 5106a – Grants to States for Child Abuse or Neglect Prevention and Treatment Programs
One Child, One Advocate
A judge appoints a CASA volunteer to one case at a time. That single-case focus is the point of the model. Social workers often carry 50 or more cases simultaneously, and attorneys represent multiple clients. A CASA volunteer has the bandwidth to notice the small things that otherwise get missed: an outdated glasses prescription, a foster placement that isn’t working, an IEP that didn’t follow the child when they changed schools.2National CASA/GAL Association for Children. Be a CASA or GAL Volunteer
The volunteer’s job is best-interest advocacy, which has a specific legal meaning. A CASA volunteer recommends what they believe is best for the child after independent investigation. That recommendation can differ from what the child says they want. A teenager might want to go home to a parent who hasn’t completed treatment, and the volunteer’s job is to weigh that wish against everything else they’ve learned. Traditional attorneys representing children, by contrast, are ethically bound to advocate for the child’s stated wishes, even when those wishes seem risky.3National CASA/GAL Association for Children. The CASA/GAL Model
Cases typically last 12 to 18 months, and the volunteer stays with the child the whole time. Other professionals rotate on and off. The CASA volunteer is often the one adult who stays put.
Investigating the Child’s Situation
Investigation is where the work starts. Volunteers visit the child regularly at their current placement. They interview parents, foster parents, teachers, therapists, caseworkers, and anyone else involved in the child’s life. They review case files, school records, and medical records. Because a CASA volunteer is a sworn officer of the court, they can access information that would normally be restricted, with strict confidentiality rules governing what they do with it.2National CASA/GAL Association for Children. Be a CASA or GAL Volunteer
This isn’t a one-time investigation. The volunteer keeps gathering information as the case develops, because placements change, parents comply or don’t, and the picture shifts.
Writing Court Reports
Before each hearing, the volunteer submits a written report to the judge. A strong report covers the child’s current physical, emotional, and educational status; what the parents have or haven’t done to comply with their service plan; family strengths and obstacles to permanency; and specific recommendations for what should happen next. Recommendations have to tie directly to what the volunteer observed, not general impressions. The report becomes part of the official court record, and judges rely on it when ordering services, changing placements, or making permanency decisions.
Monitoring Court Orders and Services
Judges order services like counseling, substance abuse treatment, parenting classes, and educational evaluations. The CASA volunteer follows up to confirm those services actually reach the child and family. If a therapist referral falls through, or a school fails to put accommodations in place, the volunteer flags the gap. Much of the practical value of the role lives here, because the system is overloaded and things slip through constantly.
Which Children CASA Volunteers Serve
CASA volunteers serve children who have been removed from their homes or are at risk of removal because of abuse or neglect. These are dependency cases in juvenile court, not delinquency cases where a child is accused of breaking the law. The children are often in foster care, sometimes bouncing between placements. Some are infants. Some are teenagers about to age out of the system.2National CASA/GAL Association for Children. Be a CASA or GAL Volunteer
The goal in every case is permanency: a safe, stable home. That might mean reunification with a parent who has addressed the problems that led to removal, adoption, legal guardianship with a relative, or a planned permanent living arrangement for older youth. The volunteer advocates for whichever outcome the investigation points to.
CASA Volunteer vs. Guardian Ad Litem
The two terms overlap and confuse nearly everyone, including some attorneys. Under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, every child in a court proceeding involving abuse or neglect must have a guardian ad litem, and that guardian ad litem can be an attorney, a CASA volunteer, or both.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 5106a – Grants to States for Child Abuse or Neglect Prevention and Treatment Programs Some courts appoint a CASA volunteer as the guardian ad litem. Others appoint an attorney as guardian ad litem and add a CASA volunteer alongside. A few jurisdictions appoint both, each with distinct roles.
The functional difference matters. CASA volunteers are trained to advocate for what they believe is in the child’s best interest after independent investigation. When a court appoints both a CASA volunteer and an attorney, the volunteer investigates and makes recommendations while the attorney handles the legal strategy.3National CASA/GAL Association for Children. The CASA/GAL Model
What a CASA Volunteer Cannot Do
The role has clear limits. These boundaries exist to protect the child, the case, and the volunteer, and crossing them can compromise all three.
- Taking the child to the volunteer’s home, or to any location other than the current placement
- Giving legal advice or providing therapeutic counseling
- Making placement decisions, such as arranging where a child should live
- Giving money or expensive gifts to the child, family, or caregivers; small gestures like a birthday acknowledgment are usually fine
- Connecting on social media with children, parents, or caregivers involved in the case
- Speaking to the media about any case
Transporting the child is handled cautiously. Some programs permit it case by case with a signed waiver and safety guidelines; most default to avoiding it, for liability and safety reasons rather than formality.
Confidentiality and Reporting Duties
CASA volunteers take an oath of confidentiality when they complete training and sign a separate confidentiality agreement for each new case. Information learned during a case, whether from court files, interviews, or personal observation, cannot be shared outside the proceedings. Casual conversations about case details, even without naming the child, violate the obligation.
At the same time, CASA volunteers in most states are mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect. When a volunteer witnesses or suspects new abuse or neglect, by anyone, they have a legal obligation to report it. Specific reporting requirements vary by state, and volunteers are trained on recognizing signs of abuse and on their state’s procedures.