CASA of River Valley’s mission is to draw from community resources to reduce the physical, emotional, intellectual, and social impacts of abuse and neglect experienced by children in foster care in Will and Grundy Counties. They do this by recruiting and training volunteers to act as the voice of the child, provide needed information to the court, and work toward a more restorative juvenile court process.
CASA serves as the only organization in the community that trains volunteers to be Guardians ad Litem. The court appoints these volunteers to speak on behalf of the child’s best interest, with the goal to “Change a Child’s Story.™”
In Will and Grundy Counties, hundreds of children enter the juvenile justice system every year due to abuse and neglect
CASA of River Valley helps these children recover from the traumas they’ve endured and find safe, permanent, loving homes where they can prosper. They stay with each child until his/her case is closed and the child is placed into a safe, permanent home with hope for a positive future.
Since 1994, CASA of River Valley has served over 3,000 children
Currently, CASA is able to serve 79% of children in foster care. With your help, they can reach their goal of serving 100% of the abused and neglected children in need of a CASA volunteer.
CASA devotes countless hours to making a profound impact on these children, leading to many positive stories of reuniting with family members or finding their way out of abusive homes. In cooperation with volunteers, partners, and the community, CASA of River Valley also achieves the following results for children:
- More than 300 children in Will and Grundy Counties receive representation from a CASA each year
- Children with a CASA volunteer spend an average of eight months fewer in foster care than those without representation
- The children we serve are also less likely to re-enter the foster care system
Spotlight Guest: Meg Pennington, Manager of Development and Community Promotion/Advocate Supervisor
