who we are & what we do

YOU CAN BE THE CHANGE!

Imagine what it feels like to be a child in foster care. They are waiting for a volunteer like you to help them find a permanent, forever home.

Make a life-changing difference in the life of an abused and/or neglected child(ren) in Kittitas County.

Help us increase awareness through outreach events and community partner presentations.

Help to establish vision and direction, develop policies and procedures, ensure adequate funding, and support activities that benefit Kittitas County.

Our internship is an unpaid position that provides an excellent experience to a student interested in law, volunteer administration, or social services.

Child Advocacy

It is our mission to provide trained independent volunteers who promote and advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children within the justice system of Kittitas County.

Court Appointed Special Advocates

child Advocacy

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for children’s best interests. They stay with each case until it is closed and the child is in a safe, permanent home. We serve children from birth to eighteen years.

Volunteers work with legal and child welfare professionals, educators, and service providers to ensure that judges have all the information they need to make the most well-informed decisions for each child. 

Our best-interest advocacy is driven by the guiding principle that children grow and develop best with their family of origin if that can be safely achieved. Most of the children we work with are in foster care, but some are with their families of origin. And, most children who leave foster care do so to return to their families.

Abuse and neglect can happen to a child at any age. Babies are at the highest risk as more than one-quarter of victims are younger than three years old. Whether a three-year-old or a 15-year-old teenager, experiencing abuse or neglect has a lasting impact on a child.

Having a caring adult advocate for a child’s best interest can make a lasting difference for a child who’s been neglected or abused.

Friends of casa

Friends of CASA are a group of volunteers, some of whom are also Child Advocates, who organize community events that increase awareness about the needs of foster children and the role CASA plays and raise funds to support the organization.

To join Friends of CASA contact Board Member, Dan Hansberry at @casaprogram.org.

We believe that each board member contributes directly to Court Advocates for Children’s growth and success.

The Board of Directors of Court Advocates for Children represents the interests of the public by strategically setting the direction for the organization and ensuring the organization’s work is consistent with its public benefit purpose and that the organization’s resources are being utilized in support of the mission.

The Board of Directors operates as a cohesive team and consistently fulfills its commitments. The Board and the Executive Director create a powerful, effective partnership that benefits the best interest of the organization.

internship

CASA of Kittitas County considers interns part of the team. We pride ourselves on the educational opportunity and view it as such. Internships include training and orientation, and focus on learning and developing new skills and gaining a deeper understanding of concepts through hands-on application in a roll-up-your-sleeves non-profit environment.

The non-paid educational experience includes assisting with recruitment and community outreach, training preparation, fundraisers, special events, database maintenance, social media, and other duties as assigned.

Interns must successfully pass fingerprint and child abuse background checks. A minimum of eight hours/week is required and weekly schedule(s) are determined collaboratively, taking into consideration the intern’s school requirements and the organization’s needs.