Alameda County CASA

Alameda County is home to the largest number (approximately 1,270) of foster children in the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of these children have faced childhood abuse, neglect or abandonment, sometimes followed by years of instability as they are moved from one foster care placement to another. High child welfare worker caseloads and frequent case reassignments result in little time to develop relationships. Not only do child welfare workers change but children often lack continuity among other professionals, including caregivers, attorneys, teachers, therapists, psychiatrists, judges/commissioners, and even their friends. A CASA volunteer serves as a wholly independent voice exclusively of the child/youth ensuring that all professionals involved in the case have up to date information and are completing tasks in a timely manner. They advocate for sibling visitation, educational support, extracurricular activities, health, mental health services, and more. Each volunteer is requ...