Amarillo Area Court Appointed Special Advocates

When children have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect, Court Appointed Special Advocates (casa) are Appointed by a judge to serve as the eyes and ears of the Court to help the judge, by providing information, decide whether a child should stay with the parents, be placed with relatives, be placed in foster care, or be freed for adoption. The casa interviews the child, parents, family members, school officials, health providers, and others who know the child's history. Casa reviews all records assigned to the case including school, medical and caseworker reports. The casa works with attorneys and other professionals involved in the case and then reports to the Court, giving testimony in hearings, as to what they believe would be in the child's best interest. Casa is the one constant they have in their lives as they move through the maze of a judicial system that will decide their future.