Mission Statement
Dallas CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children in protective care, to help them find safe, permanent homes.
More About Us
Dallas CASA is a charter member of the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association and an active member of Texas CASA. We have been in operation since 1979. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit social service agency and are governed by a board of directors. There are 26 full-time CASA employees who support more than 220 volunteers.


The CASA Movement

In 1976, the Presiding Judge of King County Superior Court in Seattle, Washington, began to look for alternative ways to make sure the child's best interests would be consistently presented to the court. He decided to use trained community volunteers who would be asked to make a commitment for the life of a child's case.  The National Council of Jewish Women started FOCAS, now called Dallas CASA, in 1979 as a pilot project with funding from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation.

In 1982, the National CASA Association was formed to unify the movement and provide leadership, as well as training and assistance in starting and expanding programs. In 1990, the U.S. Congress passed the Victims of Child Abuse Act, which allocated federal funds to start and expand CASA programs. Today there are more than 900 CASA programs nationwide, with nearly 70,000 women and men speaking up for abused and neglected children as CASA volunteers.


Watch the 'Everyday Heroes' Video

 
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