Michigan
Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (MICASAA)
A
CASA is an ordinary citizen volunteer who makes an extraordinary
commitment to help a child. Child prevention proceedings require
a judge to decide whether the child should remain with his or her
parents, or be permanently removed from that home. After thorough
training a CASA acts an an independent advocate (appointed by the
judge as an officer of the court), to investigate the case and offer
an informed opinion of the child's best interests. The CASA visits
frequently with the child throughout the process, and shares information
with the judge, attorneys, foster parents, case workers, therapists,
and others involved in the child's life. The CASA attends every
hearing, submitting a report with specific recommendations regarding
how to best serve that child and family. The CASA is a powerful
voice in a child's life.
There
are currently eighteen CASA programs in Michigan, serving twenty
counties. There are three more programs in development and
two others who are in the early stages of planning. The Michigan
CASA Programs page lists them all; contact your local program
if you are interested in volunteering. ANYONE
can form a planning team and start a program; the Michigan Court Appointed Special Advocates
Association (MICASAA) provides interested
courts and communities with the assistance and support they need
to develop quality, sustainable programs. See the map on the Michigan
CASA Programs page, and contact us if you would like to know
more about CASA efforts in your area.
MICASAA
is staffed by Children's Charter, and guided by an advisory board
comprised of the Program Directors of each operating CASA program
in Michigan. Our mission is to promote the growth and development
of CASA across the state, so that every child in need can benefit
from an independent advocate's voice in court.
To
learn more about CASA, visit the National
CASA Association Web site.
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