<h3>Court Appointed Special Advocates</h3><div class="col-md-8 text-justify"><h4>Background</h4>The Supreme Court CASA Assistance Program (CASA AP) provides funding and fiscal and programmatic oversight to local Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs. CASA programs are an essential component in Louisiana's ability to maintain family safety and stability, particularly considering the compressed ASFA time frames for permanency. The purpose of CASA programs is to promote timely placement of children in need of care in permanent, safe, and stable homes in accordance with the provisions of the Louisiana Children’s Code. The role of CASA is to enhance family stability by facilitating linkages between the particular child/family and community resources/systems through trained, qualified, and supervised advocates who provide efficient and thorough information gathering, skilled communication, and such other needed services identified in an individual case. After assignment by the judge, and under the supervision of the CASA program staff, the special advocate investigates the situation of the child and provides independent, factual information to the court regarding the child’s best interest. Special advocates identify and advocate for the child’s best interest in court and in the community, monitor the proceedings in the cases to which they have been assigned, and monitor the safety and welfare of the children to which they have been assigned until the case is closed. Because special advocates take only one or two cases at a time, they focus on a very small number of children. CASA is unique within the Child in Need of Care system, in that it functions as a neutral-nonparty advocate for the best interests of individual children assigned to them by the courts.<br /><br />Until the Regular Session of the Legislature in 2001, the state CASA association and local CASA programs individually sought funding from a variety of sources including federal grants, local court costs, private funds, and various fund-raising activities. Statewide funding for CASA began in 2001, when the legislature allocated $3.6 million dollars in unobligated federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) money for the expansion of CASA statewide under the budget of the Louisiana Supreme Court. With approval of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, the Supreme Court entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Louisiana Department of Social Services (now known as the Department of Children and Family Services) and the Division of Administration to provide fiscal and programmatic management of the TANF-funded CASA programs. Funding for programs through the CASA Assistance Program has been included in the budget of the Supreme Court since 2006 and included in the annual Judicial Appropriations bill. <br /><br />Although special advocates are not paid, effective CASA advocacy requires funding. Funding is essential if programs are to meet the requirements of the law and of the National CASA Standards. CASA AP provides funding to local CASA programs for staff salaries and fringe benefits, professional services (such as background checks), office supplies, rent, communications (phone, fax, internet, etc.), office machine maintenance, travel reimbursement for training events, organizational insurance, and financial auditing. These funds help to ensure that Louisiana’s CASA programs can carry out their mission to provide screened, trained, and highly qualified community volunteers to advocate for the best interest of children and youth who are before the court as a result of abuse or neglect.<br /><br />The purpose and processes of CASA are subject to the provisions of Louisiana law. <a href="http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=73162" target="_blank">See Louisiana Children’s Code, arts. 424-424.10</a>.<p> </p><h4>How can my parish/district get a CASA program?</h4><div><p>To be recognized as a CASA program in Louisiana, and to be eligible for CASA AP funding, a local program must be established in substantial compliance with National CASA standards. Compliance can be successfully achieved only with comprehensive community-based planning. The judge(s) exercising juvenile jurisdiction must be interested and involved. Key community stakeholders interested in abused and neglected children need to understand what CASA is and does and what the expectations of National CASA are and, then, assess both the needs of the children and the available resources in their community. Based on that assessment, this planning group can consider the options available and formulate a plan for implementation. Application can then be made for provisional National CASA membership. This formative community effort may take several months or longer but is critical to building an effective CASA program.</p><p> </p></div><p align="left"><strong>CASA Assistance Program Contacts: </strong></p><div class="col-md-4"><p>Sandie McCarthy-Brown<br />Judicial Program Manager<br />CASA Assistance Program<br /><a href="mailto:smccarthy-brown@lasc.org">smccarthy-brown@lasc.org</a><br />Phone: 504-310-1662</p><p><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> </span></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p></div><div class="col-md-4">Mohannad Kalboneh<br />Accountant<br />CASA Assistance Program<br /><a href="mailto:mkalboneh@lasc.org">mkalboneh@lasc.org</a><br />Phone: 504-310-1664<br /><p><br /></p></div></div><div class="col-md-4"><div class="panel panel-primary"><div class="panel-heading"><div class="panel-title">Quick Links</div></div><div class="panel-body"><ul><li><a href="/children_families/CASAIS.pdf" target="_blank">CASA Assistance Program - Legal Framework</a></li><li><a href="/children_families/CASAROLE.pdf" target="_blank">CASA in the Courtroom - The “Official” Role of CASA</a></li><li><a href="http://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=73162" target="_blank">Children’s Code article 424</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="panel panel-primary"><div class="panel-heading"><div class="panel-title">Other Resources</div></div><div class="panel-body"><ul><li><a href="http://www.louisianacasa.org/" target="_blank">Louisiana CASA</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nationalcasa.org/" target="_blank">National CASA</a></li></ul></div></div></div>