Mission & History

Mission

CASA of Kent County provides highly trained volunteers to advocate in the best interest of abused and neglected children in family court proceedings.

Guiding Principles

CASA of Kent County, Inc. has a Board of Directors consisting of a diverse group of community representatives who assist with fundraising, program policy and procedure, public relations and promotional activities according to their by-laws.
Referrals of cases to the CASA program are accepted from various parties, including but not limited to attorneys, judges, and foster care case managers. The Program Director oversees case assignments and supervision of volunteers.
CASA of Kent County, Inc. operates with access to a legal advisor selected from the court’s Court Appointed Attorney list.
CASA of Kent County, Inc. maintains membership with the state CASA organization, Michigan Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (MICASAA).
CASA of Kent County, Inc. maintains membership with the National CASA Association.

History

In 1974, Congress enacted the “Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act” (Public Law 93-274) that required the appointment of guardians ad litem to represent children’s best interests in judicial proceedings involving abuse or neglect. By 1977, Judge David W. Soukup, of Seattle, realized that many attorneys who were appointed by the court as guardians ad litem had neither the time nor training to conduct extensive investigations. To address his need for more complete information on which to base life-changing decisions for these children, Judge Soukup used trained volunteers to advocate and speak for children in court. His model resulted in a successful program that spread quickly.

The late John P. Steketee, then Chief Judge of Kent County Juvenile Court, participated with a group of judges who named the program and guided its growth. In 1990, Congress passed the Victims of Child Abuse Act that affirmed the official role CASA volunteers have in family court proceedings.

Nationwide, CASA has grown to a national network of more than 50,000 volunteers who serve over 225,000 abused and neglected children through 950+ local program offices nationwide. In 2009 here in Kent County, we advocated on behalf of over 200 children although over 700 were eligible. Currently we have 79 volunteers in Kent County, but the need continues to grow.