Mission
The mission of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Missoula (CASA of Missoula) is to provide independent, trained advocates for the best interests of children within the judicial system who are at substantial risk or have experienced abuse or neglect. We provide consistent, long-term advocacy until every child resides in a safe, permanent home.
CASA of Missoula began in 1994 with the mission of providing independent, trained advocates for the best interests of children in Missoula and Mineral Counties. These children in the judicial system are at substantial risk or have experienced abuse or neglect. CASA provides consistent, long-term advocacy until every child is in a safe, permanent home.
CASA volunteers ensure that the rights of abused and neglected children are being protected. A child who has a CASA volunteer are more likely to find a permanent home, half as likely to re-enter foster care, do better in school, and have fewer placements while in foster care. Most importantly, CASA gives a voice to the child in court.
CASA of Missoula has 155 volunteers serving over 200 children. The need for volunteers continues. There are children waiting for CASA volunteers. We want to be able to fulfill our goal to have a CASA for every child that needs a CASA.
CASA staff recruit, train, and supervise volunteers to be advocates who provide individualized attention to each child in need. These volunteers are from a variety of ages and life experiences- there is no special education or background required to be a volunteer. The only requirements to volunteer are to be 21 or older and pass a background check. We have college students, retirees, working adults, stay-at-home parents, and more. The common thread is that they want to make a difference and help improve the life of a child.
We offer two 30 hour pre-service trainings per year. These take place two nights a week in the evenings for 5 weeks. We have one training in the fall and one in the spring. We encourage interested community members to apply as soon as they feel ready to start the process of becoming a CASA volunteer so we can set up an interview.
On average, a CASA volunteer dedicates 5-20 hours PER MONTH on their case. Many of these hours are flexible, as they include reaching out to people important to the child or parties on the case via email or phone. Monthly meetings with the child can be set up based on the volunteer’s schedule.
If you want to learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer click here. If you aren’t able to dedicate time to being a volunteer now, but you’d still like to support our mission, you can make a gift to CASA of Missoula here. Just interested in following our impact in the community? Sign up for our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media here.
Still have questions? You can email [email protected]