"I think CASA can help give a voice to a child in some ways: in meetings where it might be hard for a child to talk or express what they want or need. CASA can help them do that either by just being there as a support person to them or just talking with them before to hear what their point of view is and bringing that up during the meeting. So, I think that's a strength that CASA has."

"I think the most important thing about CASA for me as a volunteer is that I get to be a consistent source of support for my CASA kid. Kids in the Child Welfare System move between homes, they change schools, they have often been taken out of their parents' home to begin with, and they might live in shelters or group homes or foster homes. Things in their lives are changing dramatically all the time. These kids have people in their lives that I as a kid didn't have in my life. They are dealing with things that most of us don't deal with and those professionals come in and out of their lives all the time. Social workers change, attorneys change, and sometimes this can go on for years and years before a case is resolved. So, for me, I get to be the one person in my CASA kid's life, who's there visiting every week, or, if not, at least giving a phone call regularly and staying in touch, regardless of where these kids move and what else happens in their lives. And I think that's really critical for all kids and especially for kids who are in a state of crisis with their families. It's not really uncommon for CASA kids to move between shelters and group homes and foster homes several times in a year. So their whole lives are uprooted. They have to go make a new set of friends, attend a new school, and everything changes for these kids constantly, sometimes on just a couple days' notice. So, I think the real value of a CASA volunteer is that that person makes a commitment to be with you as your friend until your case is resolved."

"One of the things I found surprising is the judicial system, and I've been doing it long enough now where I know a lot of the lawyers, a lot of the social workers. And for the most part, my experience is that they listen to you. And that surprised me....Mom's got a lawyer. The lawyer doesn't know Mom. Dad's got a lawyer. The lawyer doesn't know anything about Dad and is looking for the file case on Dad. And then the child's lawyer is doing whatever she's doing or he's doing. And you suddenly discover that you're in a room where literally you know the child better than anybody else does. And, they listen to you. They listen to what it is that you think or what it is that you have to say in advocating for the child. That was a big surprise."

"I have been with my current CASA child for fifteen months. In that time, change has been one of the only constants in her life. She has had four social workers, two attorneys and has lived in five different homes."As a CASA advocate it has been a privilege to be part of this child's life. It feels good knowing that no matter what changes occur in her life, she can depend on me."

"My first interaction with CASA was in second grade. I was living with my grandmother, and they were trying to reunite me with my mother. So, CASA got involved as something stable in my life. So, at my first meeting she asked me if I would like ice cream, and of course it was my favorite thing in the world. So, every week---I don't remember her ever missing a week---we would go eat ice cream or go to the park. And she was the one constant as I went through different foster homes and group homes. She was always there and provided that sense that someone believed in me and hoped for my future and just the consistency really showered me with attention and what I needed."

"I think I would have been lost {without a CASA), because if I hadn't had a CASA, I would have had no one guiding me and helping me try to find my direction. She made sure that I had a plan, that I was going to be successful and get out of the cycle. Basically, there wasn't any other option than to be focused in school and get that done and have my life in order. She made sure that I acquired all the skills that I had missed about hygiene and social skills and made sure that I really considered college. And that was something that was on my wish list. And I caught up in school and made it. She pushed me through."

"I had a fairly mild situation. {My two brothers and I} were in just a single foster home. But, at times, even though I was not moving, we had social workers changing. We had case workers changing. We had different children coming in and out of the house. There was room for six children. So, there were three alternating at any given time. Sometimes, it was one at a time. Sometimes, it would be three new ones in one day. So, it all just depended on what was going on. And with all those changes it was still the same CASA worker, which was nice because it was a chance to just relax and have things feel normal again."

"When the {CASA} shows up, and they want to be there, and they have that joy in their face....I was so anxious to see her every week. I looked forward to it every single week and the day that I knew I was going to see her after school…that day was like the best day."

"First of all, being in foster care at any age is hard. But my CASA has made a big difference to me. Knowing that you have a CASA means you can call and ask questions about something in court, your care or anything else. It can make you feel better about things. My CASA and I spend some time together. Even though it's not a lot of time, we make it quality time. I don't consider my CASA worker just CASA worker. I consider her a friend that I will have after foster care."

"I like CASA because I really have someone to talk to and someone I can put trust in. CASA has helped me conquer many things I couldn't conquer on my own. I think you should become a CASA if you want to make a positive difference in a needy person's life."