Dane County CASA

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASAs are trained community volunteers who are appointed by the juvenile court judge to work with a child brought into the child welfare system for a case of abuse and/or neglect, some of Dane County's most vulnerable. These individuals provide an independent voice in the court, advocating for the child's best interest in terms of safety, permanency, and well-being. CASAs act as a mentor and an advocate, becoming a caring and stable presence in these children's lives during a difficult time.

Dane County CASA, Inc. has been providing services to the Dane County Juvenile Court System since 1995. In October of 2015, Dane County CASA joined Canopy Center as one of their four distinct programs providing support, advocacy, and therapy for families in our community. 

We train, support, and supervise community-based CASAs (court appointed special advocates) who provide an independent voice for abused and neglected children who are under the legal protection of the Dane County Court System. CASAs advocate for the best interests of the child in the courts and in the community, with the goal of establishing them in a safe and permanent home as soon as possible.

Advocates serve as the eyes and ears of the court by meeting weekly with their assigned child (at least four times more frequently than any other service provider on the child's case). Not only does this allow them to build up a caring, mentoring relationship with the child, it also allows them to have time to thoroughly explore the history and circumstances of their assigned case, which they in turn communicate to the judge presiding on the case via monthly written reports. CASAs also get to know everyone involved in the child's life, and work alongside attorneys and social workers to recommend and coordinate services that support the best interests of the child.