Court-Appointed
Special Advocates

What Do CASA Volunteers do?

CASA Volunteer Advocates work both in and out of the courtroom. They build relationships with the children, family members, and foster caregivers. They work in concert with the judges, lawyers, social workers, service providers, parents, and teachers.

The CASA is appointed as an officer of the court and is responsible for making recommendations to the judge regarding the future permanent placement of each child. The CASA Volunteer Advocate submits written and verbal recommendations to the court that assist the court in decision making. Part of a CASA’s role is also helping children figure out what they need to thrive, including help to prepare them for their future and providing them with helpful services. 

CASA Volunteer Advocates come from all walks of life, with a variety of educational and ethnic backgrounds. We especially welcome those with lived experiences in foster care to become CASAs.There are more than 62,000 CASA volunteers nationally and more than 60 are active annually in the First Judicial District (Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties).

Meet Our Volunteers

We are indebted to our passionate and hard-working CASA First Volunteer Advocates who give of their heart and time to ensure that every local child who is in foster care is safe and has the opportunity to thrive.

The New Mexican Newspaper interviewed one of our CASAs, Nancy Gehman, as “One of the New Mexican’s 10 Who Made a Difference in 2017.”

Read full article here

466 W. San Francisco Street
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501

(505) 820-1500