Serving Children, Supporting Families: CASA’s Role in the Bigger Picture of Child Welfare

The child welfare system can feel overwhelming and impersonal for the children and families navigating it. From court hearings and case plans to social workers and foster homes, it’s easy for vulnerable children to become just another file on someone’s desk. That’s why Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are essential. In Johnson County, and across the country, CASA volunteers serve a unique role within the broader child welfare system, one that centers on elevating the voice of the child while also supporting the family unit as a whole.

While many people associate CASA with courtroom advocacy, the reality is far more dynamic. CASA volunteers become a steady, trusted presence for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. They help ensure no child gets lost in the process, and they often advocate for services and supports that help families heal and reunify. Let’s explore CASA’s deeper role in child welfare and how volunteers help change the entire system one child and one family at a time.

CASA Volunteers Put Children at the Center

Every child in foster care has a story. For some, it's a story of being removed from a home where substance abuse, domestic violence, or chronic neglect made it unsafe to stay. For others, it's a story of bouncing between temporary placements, waiting for someone to listen to what they want and need. CASA volunteers are often the first to truly hear that story from the child’s perspective.

Unlike other roles in the child welfare system, CASA volunteers focus solely on the child’s wants and needs, not necessarily the parents'. This allows them to build relationships, spend time getting to know the child, and deeply understand their unique circumstances. The result is a more complete, more personal advocacy one that reflects what the child is experiencing, what they need, and what will help them feel safe and supported.

The Child Welfare Web

To understand CASA’s role in the larger system, it helps to look at all the players involved in a child welfare case. There’s the Department of Child Services (DCS) caseworker, who manages a full caseload and oversees services. There’s the family’s attorney, the child’s Guardian ad Litem or public defender in some cases, the foster family, therapists, school officials, and of course, the judge. It’s a crowded, complex network, and communication between all parties isn’t always perfect.

CASA fills a critical gap in this system. Unlike agency staff, CASA volunteers are not overburdened with dozens of cases. They provide the court with independent recommendations based on their own investigation. They meet with the child, talk with teachers, foster parents, therapists, and family members. They ask questions that might otherwise be overlooked. They point out issues early, before they become crises. And because they often stay assigned to the case longer than anyone else, they bring valuable continuity.

Judges in Johnson County rely on CASA reports and recommendations to help make decisions that will impact the child’s future for years to come. These decisions may include where the child lives, what kind of therapy or schooling they receive, whether they should be reunited with their birth parents, or whether a new permanent home must be found.

CASA Volunteers Help Move Cases Toward Permanency

One of the key goals of the child welfare system is permanency: the idea that children need a long-term, stable home where they feel safe and cared for. For some, that means reunification with their parents. For others, it may mean adoption by a relative or foster family. CASA volunteers are vital in helping the court reach these permanency decisions in a timely and informed manner that’s in the best interest of the child.

Because CASA volunteers meet with the child regularly, they notice if things are improving or not. They can highlight when a child is forming strong bonds with a caregiver or when a placement is no longer working. Their recommendations can accelerate the process toward stability and minimize the trauma of long-term foster care or repeated placement moves.

CASA Recognizes the Impact of Trauma and the Importance of Connection

Every CASA volunteer in Johnson County receives thorough training that includes information on trauma-informed care, child development, and the importance of family and cultural connections. CASA understands that children in the system often experience multiple forms of trauma both before and after they enter care. These include emotional loss, physical instability, disrupted schooling, and strained relationships.

By being consistently present in a child’s life and speaking up about their emotional needs, CASA volunteers play a powerful role in mitigating the long-term effects of that trauma. Whether it’s advocating for a child to stay in the same school, ensuring they get appropriate mental health services, or keeping sibling relationships intact, CASA helps build a stronger foundation for recovery.

A System That Needs People Like You

The child welfare system in Indiana depends on committed community members to step up and speak out for children. CASA volunteers are not expected to be perfect. They’re expected to care, to show up, and to keep children at the center of every decision. With the proper training, ongoing support, and guidance from experienced staff, you can join this life-changing work.

Every CASA volunteer in Johnson County is backed by a team that wants you to succeed. You’ll receive all the tools you need to make a real difference not only in the life of a child, but in the future of their family and our entire community.

Become the Connection That Changes Everything

If you’ve ever wanted to be part of the solution in a child’s life, becoming a CASA is your opportunity. You don’t need to be a lawyer, social worker, or child development expert. You just need to be someone who believes that every child deserves a chance, and is willing to be that chance when it matters most.