Why the court values CASA…

From former King County Superior Court Judge, Larry A. Jordan …

“…the voice of the child communicated to the judge by the CASA is critical in keeping King County children safe and in making the very difficult and important decision concerning a child’s residential placement and schedule.”

Interviews with the court show these SIX WAYS that CASA demonstrates value to the court:

1. Providing the child’s perspective: children do not normally participate in the court process; the CASA report gives insight about children, their needs and their wishes
2. Basic safety observations of the homes: volunteer advocates visit each party’s home at least once or twice in most cases
3. Insights via observation: advocates generally observe each parent with the child engaged in a short activity
4. Compile and summarize multiple perspectives: advocates gather information from people familiar with the family, such as doctors, counselors, teachers or daycare personnel
5. Participate in the legal process: in some cases, CASA can file a motion to ask the court to order services or to ask for a continuance to gather more information
6. Services & Compliance: advocates research services that may strengthen the family and increase safety for the child and advocates can check with the parties about court-ordered services to keep the court informed about obstacles and compliance