Mission Statement
East Texas CASA will recruit and train volunteers to advocate for the best interests of children and youth who are removed from their families due to abuse or neglect in Gregg, Rusk, and Upshur counties.
Vision
The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA):
- Ensures the child is receiving physical and mental health care services;
- Has access to school records and advocates for the child’s educational needs;
- Visits the child and placement to evaluate the level of care the child is receiving;
- Searches for and evaluates any potential temporary or permanent placements;
- Advocates to find a permanent solution for the child as quickly as possible; and
- Remains with the child until the case is closed and the child is no longer in the custody of the State.
History
East Texas CASA is part of a national volunteer movement that began in 1977 when Judge David Soukup in Seattle decided he needed to know more about the children whose lives were in his hands. His solution was to ask community volunteers to act as a “voice in court” for abused and neglected children. These Court Appointed Special Advocate® (CASAs) provided him with the detailed information he needed to safeguard the children’s best interests and ensure that they were placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. The program was so successful that it was copied around the nation.
East Texas CASA has continued to serve abused and neglected children in Gregg, Rusk and Upshur Counties since 1992 by providing trained community volunteers for every child who was assigned to the program through the court.
East Texas CASA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors.
East Texas CASA is a member of the National and Texas CASA Associations. There are 939 CASA programs nationwide and 73 CASA programs in the state of Texas.
