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Executive Summary: CASA volunteers in Washington provide high-quality best-interest advocacy in dependency proceedings (including petitions for guardianship or seeking termination of parent-child relationships) for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Some children in dependency proceedings have an attorney appointed for them and attorneys can provide great value for these children. Washington law generally leaves appointment of attorneys for children in dependency proceedings to the discretion of judges. Washington CASA supports maintaining this largely discretionary approach to appointment because some cases would benefit more from the appointment of an attorney, while in other cases the CASA volunteer can adequately advocate for the needs of the child without an attorney.
Policy & Advocacy
Washington CASA Association works to assure sound public policies on issues affecting the Washington child welfare system, the well-being of children and youth in state custody, and other policy areas related to our mission.
Along with the local CASA/GAL programs and their volunteers, Washington CASA engages in a variety of efforts to study, develop and change public policies. Additionally, we collaborate with other advocacy and stakeholder groups, participate in special task forces, and engage in other processes to develop and impact policy.
A sampling of Washington CASA’s public policy endeavors include:
- Member, Commission on Children in Foster Care
- Member, Innovative Dependency Court Collaborative
- Member, COVID Rapid Response Work Group
- Member, Child Welfare Advocacy Coalition
Government support helps enable our programs to screen, train and support volunteers whose best interest advocacy addresses the complex needs of traumatized children. You can help us advocate for children at the federal level. National CASA/GAL has focus areas and priorities that address the issues affecting children and families in their communities. National CASA/GAL monitors nationwide trends and tracks pressing issues affecting children who have experienced abuse or neglect.
