Juvenile Justice Support Needed- CASA DC Volunteer Advocates

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Children in juvenile detention deserve our support.

Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers make a life-changing difference for children who are system-involved. Each volunteer is appointed by a judge to advocate for a child’s best interest in court. Our volunteers help judges develop a fuller picture of each child’s life. Their advocacy enables judges to make the most well-informed decision for each child. This is incredibly necessary for our youth who are in the juvenile justice system. Our BRIDGES program supports these young people.

The aim of the BRIDGES Program is to do everything in our power to prevent youth from becoming multi-system involved, decrease instances of recidivism, and to promote diversion opportunities. Most importantly, the aim of the program is to empower court-involved youth to build BRIDGES - to Be Resilient, be Individuals, be Determined, be Great, be Educated, and be Safe.

• CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for children’s best interests. They stay with each case until it is closed and the child is in a safe, permanent home. We serve children from birth through the 21.
• Volunteers work with legal and child welfare professionals, educators and service providers to ensure that judges have all the information they need to make the most well-informed decisions for each child.
• Our best-interest advocacy is driven by the guiding principle that children grow and develop best with their family of origin, if that can be safely achieved. Most of the children we work with are in foster care, but some are with their family of origin. And, most children who leave foster care do so to return to their family.