The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA): Overview

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• Conducts an independent investigation by reviewing all pertinent documents and records and interviewing the child, parents, social workers, foster parents, teachers, and others.
• Determines the thoughts and feelings of the child about the situation, while taking into account the child's age, maturity, culture and ethnicity and degree of attachment to family members, including siblings.
• Seeks cooperative solutions by acting as a facilitator to achieve resolution of problems and to foster positive steps toward achieving permanence for the child.
• May provide written report for hearings that include findings and recommendations.
• May appear at hearings to advocate for the child's best interests and provide testimony when necessary.
• CASA programs currently exist in select counties across the state. To determine if there is a CASA program in your county go to https://illinoiscasa.org/
• The role of CASA varies based on the county and structure of the program.