How CASA Started

In 1976, Superior Court Judge David Soukup of Seattle, WA, saw a recurring problem in his courtroom: “In criminal and civil cases, even though there were always many different points of view, you walked out of the courthouse at the end of the day and you said, ‘I’ve done my best; I can live with this decision,’ he explains.

“But when you’re involved with a child and you’re trying to decide what to do to facilitate that child’s growth into a mature and happy adult, you don’t feel like you have sufficient information to allow you to make the right decision. You can’t walk away and leave them at the courthouse at 4 o’clock. You wonder, ‘Do I really know everything I should? Have I really been told all of the different things? Is this really right?”

To ensure he was getting all the facts and the long-term welfare of each child was being represented, the Seattle judge came up with an idea that would change America’s judicial procedure and the lives of over a million children. He obtained funding to recruit and train  community volunteers to step into courtrooms on behalf of the children: Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers. In Hawaii they are known as Volunteer Gardians Ad Litem (VGAL)

This unique concept was implemented in Seattle as a pilot program in January 1977. During that first year, the program provided 110 trained CASA volunteers for 498 children in 376 dependency cases.

By 1982 it was clear that a national association was needed to direct CASA’s emerging national presence. The National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association was formed that year.
By 1984 the National CASA Association received financial support from several significant sources: the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, under the direction of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation.

National CASA also receives support from the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation. This international women’s fraternity selected CASA as its philanthropy and has provided funds for a variety of projects, including start-up grants and a public awareness video.

The Association opened its national headquarters office in Seattle, Washington, in the summer of 1984, and launched a membership and fundraising drive.

Today the National CASA Association represents 930 CASA programs across the country. National CASA provides support for starting programs, technical assistance, training, and fundraising, media, and public awareness services.

CASA in Hawaii