Mission Statement
CASA of McLennan County recruits, trains, and supports volunteers who advocate for the best interest of children in foster care. We seek advocates whose identity and experience mirrors the children we serve, in order to provide informed, quality advocacy in the courtroom and in the community.
Vision Statement
We believe that every McLennan County child brought into the foster care system by abuse or neglect deserves the chance to thrive in a safe and permanent home. For every child who needs us, we envision a Court Appointed Special Advocate.
History
CASA of McLennan County is part of a national volunteer movement that began in 1977 when Judge David Soukup in Seattle decided he needed to know more about the children whose lives were in his hands. His solution was to ask community volunteers to act as a “voice in court” for abused and neglected children. These Court Appointed Special Advocate® (CASAs) provided him with the detailed information he needed to safeguard the children’s best interests and ensure that they were placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. The program was so successful that it was copied around the nation.
CASA of McLennan County has continued to serve abused and neglected children in McLennan County by providing trained community volunteers to speak up in the best interest of the children they serve.
CASA of McLennan County is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors, and a member of the National and Texas CASA Associations. There are more than 1,000 CASA programs nationwide and 72 CASA programs in the state of Texas.
