A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained community volunteer who is appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interests of an abused or neglected child in juvenile court proceedings.   

The CASA volunteer gathers information about the child's situation, attends court proceedings and makes a recommendation to the judge so that the judge has the information to make a decision about the child's future. 

The CASA  volunteer advocates for the child to be placed in a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible.