Summary of GAL/CASA Volunteer Programs in Indiana in 2023
- Certified GAL/CASA volunteer programs in 87 of our 92 counties
- 2,966 active volunteers advocated for 18,478 children
- 470 new volunteers were trained in 2023, spending over 14,000 hours in initial training
What GAL/CASA Volunteers Do
GAL/CASA volunteers advocate for the best interests of children who are involved in Child in Need of Services (CHINS) cases in court. They visit the child, get to know them, ascertain what kind of services they may need. They review documents, talk to other professionals involved in the case, meet with the parents, and meet with the placement (relatives, a family friend, or foster parents, etc.). The volunteer then prepares a summary for the court and makes an independent and objective recommendation to provide fact-based information in order for the court to make best interest decisions.
GAL/CASA is a legal party to a case. While an individual volunteer cannot give legal advice, as a legal party GAL/CASA often works with attorneys to represent the child’s best interests on an as needed basis. These attorneys do things for the child’s best interests like file motions, attend hearings, question witnesses, and present evidence on behalf of the children served by the GAL/CASA.
GAL/CASA Screening and Training
Volunteers must pass screening and training requirements. They must
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Submit an application with references
- Complete a personal interview
- Pass criminal background and child abuse registry screenings
- Complete training based on a nationally recognized curriculum
- Comply with Code of Ethics requiring confidentiality and professionalism
Each CASA volunteer receives a minimum of 30 hours of initial training, which includes information about their role, the child welfare system, the court process, child development, the identification of child abuse and neglect, social issues affecting families, cultural diversity, and other topics related to their work. After the initial training, each CASA is required to complete 12 hours per year of continuous training. Training for CASA community volunteers is provided at the county program level. To inquire about training to become a volunteer in your county, please contact Teresa Lyles at 1-800-542-0813 or by email at teresa.lyles@courts.in.gov.
Volunteer Commitment
Often the CASA volunteer may be the only consistent figure and voice in a child’s life while they are in the child welfare system. The CASA is asked to stay on the child’s case until it is resolved through reunification with the parent, adoption, or otherwise achieves permanency in another safe home.
History of Indiana GAL/CASA
Established in 1990, the State Office certifies and provides training and support to local GAL/CASA programs in 87 Indiana counties. The local GAL/CASA programs provide trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court, helping to ensure children’s needs are met while they are in foster care and that these children have a safe and permanent home as quickly as possible. Indiana has one of the largest networks of GAL/CASA programs in the nation. Indiana volunteers spoke for 18,478 children in cases during 2023.
Indiana law requires the appointment of either guardian ad litem (GAL) or a trained CASA in abuse and neglect cases. Moreover, if a child becomes the subject of a petition to terminate the parent/child relationship and the parent objects, the court shall appoint a GAL or CASA for the child. Although the number of volunteers who provide an invaluable service to Indiana trial courts is remarkable, there is still an ongoing need for more volunteers.
For more information about GAL/CASA programs or to volunteer, contact the Indiana State Office of GAL/CASA at 1-800-542-0813.
History of National CASA
In1977, the concept of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program was introduced in Seattle, Washington. Seattle Juvenile Court Judge David W. Soukup realized that children who entered the legal system due to abuse or neglect in their own homes were often inadvertently re-victimized by courts and public social service agencies who were over-burdened, understaffed and woefully lacking in resources. Lawyers typically represented the interests of the parents and the state. Seldom did someone speak exclusively for the child, the party who arguably had the most at stake in the proceeding. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act enacted in 1974 prompted states to adopt legislation that provided representation for the child's best interests during judicial proceedings, and attorney guardians ad litem generally did not have the time, training nor resources to conduct the kind of in-depth fact-finding needed to represent the best long term interests of children.
Once Judge Soukup recognized the problem, he looked to community volunteers for a solution. He personally recruited and trained volunteers to serve as guardians ad litem for children who entered the child welfare system.
The idea caught the attention and approval of the Children in Placement Committee of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and in 1978 the Committee adopted the model that came to be known as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Judge Soukup passed away in December 2023, but the CASA volunteer model continues.
Contact the Indiana State Office of GAL/CASA at 1-800-542-0813 and see the program directory for more information about Indiana GAL/CASA programs or to volunteer.