Volunteer Info
Volunteer
Imagine the experience of children who are removed from their home, their family, their siblings, and everything they know and care about. They find themselves in a world filled with social workers, lawyers, judges, and courtrooms where life-altering decisions are made on their behalf.
If you’re interested in having someone contact you so you can learn more about volunteering with CASA, please complete the form below.
Empower
Youth of El Paso
Fortunately, children in El Paso can have court-appointed, trained and committed volunteer advocates who ensure that each child’s individual needs remain a priority in an overburdened child welfare system. In El Paso, our volunteers serve as the guardians ad litem, with the responsibility to make informed recommendations back to the judge about a child’s best interest.
Impact
When we say CASA isn't your typical volunteer role, we mean it. Volunteering with CASA is next level, and it’s one of the most impactful and empowering experiences you can have.
For children who’ve been abused or neglected, CASA means having a home instead of feeling lost and being a priority instead of feeling invisible.
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When safe to do so, it is in children’s best interest to stay connected to their families. Of 458 children’s cases closed with the help of CASA last year, 58% were reunified with their parents, and 21% were adopted by or live permanently with relatives.
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86% of children whose cases closed last year were in permanent homes.
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A study by Texas Appleseed, "Improving the Lives of Children in Long-Term Foster Care," reports that: "If a child has a CASA, the CASA usually is the only person who truly knows the child and knows how the child is really doing."
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Judges value CASA’s recommendations, which help them make informed decisions in the child’s best interest. Out of more than 3,336 recommendations made by CASA in 2023, 95% of recommendations were either ordered by the judge or negotiated and agreed upon before the hearing.
For volunteers, CASA is a life-changing experience that makes our community a better place.
Training & Support
We will provide you with all the training and support you need to serve as an effective advocate. The CASA Volunteer Training program consists of 8 online 3.5-hour classes and an hour of pre-work for each class. You must finish all training by the final deadline and all background checks must be completed and cleared in order to be assigned to a case. Family Finding and Early Family Engagement volunteers must complete an additional 2.5 hour training for their roles.
Once assigned a case, you will be paired with a staff professional who will support and guide you every step of the way.
You will be required to complete 12 hours of Continuing Education each year that you are an active volunteer. We offer a variety of trainings and activities to help volunteers complete this requirement.