Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, loving, and permanent home. Yet thousands of children across Illinois experience abuse or neglect each year, and many enter the foster care system without a consistent adult solely focused on their best interests.
As a Court Appointed Special Advocate, you can Change a Child's Story.™
The Need
More than 16,000 children will navigate an open child abuse or child neglect case in our state this year (2026), and Illinois has ranked last in the nation for achieving timely permanency for youth in the child welfare system. Many of these children find themselves living in foster care, and they report experiencing:
- Multiple changes in their placements and schools
- Delays in receiving critical services
- Uncertainty, anxiety, and higher risks of developing PTSD
Children in communities throughout Illinois need an advocate who will focus solely on their needs and best interests. Without consistent advocacy, the consequences of an overburdened system can follow them for a lifetime. Read current Facts & Statistics
The CASA Volunteer
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteers are everyday people who step forward to become a voice for a child living in foster care. After recieving comprehensive training, CASA Volunteers are appointed by local judges to advocate for a child's best interests in the courtroom and beyond.
What makes CASA Volunteers unique in the child welfare system, is their singular focus on a child or set of siblings. While attorneys, caseworkers, and other professionals each play vital roles, they often juggle large caseloads and competing priorities. CASA Volunteers are assigned to one case at a time, allowing them to understand the child(ren)'s specific needs.
The duties of a CASA Volunteer include:
- Building a trusted, consistent relationship with a child or set of siblings
- Maintain communication with the adults in a child's life (biological families, teachers, foster families, and professionals)
- Provide fact-based recommendations directly to the judge on the case
The Goal
CASA Volunteers make a lasting difference in a child's life. Their advocacy improves communication, avoids delays, and ensures that children's needs and desires are being recognized in the court system.
Our goal is to ensure that every child has a CASA Volunteer by 2030.
- Help us reach our goal by learning more about the Steps to Become a CASA Volunteer.
- Illinois CASA Staff host monthly CASA 101 Informational Sessions virtually. Sign up for the next CASA 101.
- CASA currently exists in 87 of the 102 Illinois Counties. Find your local program.
- Donate to support local CASA programs throughout the state.
