About

HISTORY
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are trained, local volunteers who advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in deprivation proceedings through Youth Courts.

Our CASA volunteers are amazing individuals who have devoted thousands of hours to children who need someone to stand up for them in court. Volunteering as a CASA in Mississippi requires a valid driver’s license, a successful background check and the completion of 30 hours of initial training. Our advocates have a passion and commitment to this work that is invaluable to our most vulnerable victims.

CASA Mississippi, Inc. was established in 2002 after the Mississippi Court Advocacy and Justice Institute applied for and administered a state organization development grant from the National CASA Association (NCASAA). CASA Mississippi was developed by several local program directors and others involved in child advocacy services who realized that a state organization could support the existing CASA programs and develop new programs in counties where children were under served. The state organization was created to provide technical support, training, education, and other invaluable assistance to the local program staff and volunteers.

MISSION AND OPERATIONS
The mission of CASA Mississippi is to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children through the development and support of court-sanctioned, community-based programs which provide trained and supervised volunteers. To that end, CASA Mississippi conducts various activities throughout the year designed to enhance the services provided by the existing local programs and to develop new programs in counties where CASA programs are desired.

Our board of directors meets quarterly and is committed to the development of quality advocacy programs that meet state and local regulations and comply with National CASA standards. CASA Mississippi is required by National CASA to submit a quality assurance assessment for review by the standards committee for state organizations.