Who We Are:
In 2015, Hendricks County experienced a staggering 65% increase in abuse and neglect cases, with 120 children being adjudicated as Children in Need of Services in our juvenile court. Indiana law requires that all of these children be provided with a Guardian Ad Litem or CASA volunteer. Recognizing the need for a volunteer based system to advocate for our community’s children, the Hendricks County Courts established a CASA program, which launched in January, 2016. As of December 2022, the Hendricks County CASA program has served 535 children in Hendricks County.
The Hendricks County CASA program is proudly affiliated with the Indiana State Office of GAL/CASA, which is part of the Indiana Supreme Court, Division of State Court Administration. Hendricks County CASA is certified by the Indiana State GAL/CASA Office and complies with the Indiana Supreme Court Program Standards and Code of Ethics for GAL/CASA programs. Hendricks County CASA is also a member of the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association.
The Hendricks County CASA program recruits, screens, trains and supports volunteers to serve as advocates for children impacted by abuse and neglect. CASA volunteers get to know the child, determine their wants and needs and recommend what is in the child’s best interest throughout the life of the court case. The CASA volunteer provides a voice for the child in the juvenile court system by reporting all of this information to the court and making fact-based recommendations that focus solely on the child’s best interests.
CASA volunteer advocates are able to devote time building a trust-centered relationship with each child. This personal connection with the child allows the CASA to provide a well-rounded, fact-based, child centered recommendation to the court and ensures that our community’s most vulnerable population has a voice that is heard by judges, the Department of Child Services and others involved in their care.
The CASA volunteer helps the child to understand the court process and provides a friendly face, support, stability, and consistency for the child during legal proceedings amidst a sea of unfamiliar people – including police, doctors, child welfare workers, and lawyers. By presenting the best interests of abused and neglected children to the court, advocates help judges to make better informed and more timely decisions about children so they can be returned home or placed in a safe and permanent home as quickly as possible.
In addition to speaking for the child in court, CASA volunteers assist children in many other ways to recover from the situations that placed them in foster care. A CASA provides encouragement and support to a child who is confused, afraid and overwhelmed by the foster care system. Advocates serve as role models to children who often have no one else filling that need in their life. CASA advocates assist with educational needs, encourage career interests, and develop meaningful relationships with their assigned children that have a lifelong impact on both the children and the volunteer.