Our Mission

CASA for Children of Philadelphia trains and supports community volunteers to advance the welfare of children in foster care through effective advocacy. 

Our Guiding Principles

• Every child must grow up in a safe, loving and permanent home. 
• Every child is entitled to quality healthcare so that they can grow and mature. 
• Every child deserves an education that allows them to fulfill their academic potential.
• Children in foster care need and deserve advocates to support them in achieving permanency, lifelong stability and wellbeing.

Our Vision

CASA for Children of Philadelphia envisions a future where every child in foster care will have the advocate they need.  We strive to be a leader in advancing the well-being, stability, and permanency of the most vulnerable children in foster care in Philadelphia. We will be a trusted partner to child welfare and social service agencies, schools, courts, parents and foster parents, and extended families.  We will remain steadfast in our commitment to address the needs of the whole child while breaking the barriers that exist in fractured systems.

The CASA Story

In 1977, a Seattle judge named David Soukup conceived the idea of appointing volunteer citizens to “be a voice for the voiceless.” Concerned about making critical decisions with insufficient information, Judge Soukup appointed trained volunteer advocates to speak up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom. Since then, CASA has grown a network of 939 local programs in 49 states and the District of Columbia. 

• Volunteers are regular people, from all walks of life, who have been rigorously screened and trained extensively by their local program. 
• Each volunteer receives 30+ hours of training before they work with a child, and 12 hours of continued education annually. 
• Volunteers receive ongoing support via staff social workers to help them advocate effectively on a child’s behalf. 
• CASA is appointed to children from birth to age 18 and can advocate for children up to age 21. Judges rely on CASA volunteers to help make informed decisions in some of the most complicated dependency cases.  
• For many abused children, their CASA is the one constant adult presence in their lives. Independent research has demonstrated that children with a CASA are substantially less likely to spend time in long-term foster care and less likely to re-enter care. 

Here in Philadelphia, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Philadelphia County was founded in 2006. From humble beginnings, with only one volunteer and two cases, CASA for Children of Philadelphia has grown to become a professional staff of 12 that trains and supervises more than 110 volunteers every year serving over 230 children annually.  Go to our “Volunteer” tab to learn more about how you can help us keep growing!