About Us

Mission Statement

The Sonoma County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program is committed to serving abused and neglected children coming before the Juvenile Court for protection and rehabilitation services.

The purpose of the CASA program is to humanize the complex child welfare system for the child victim by providing a trained volunteer who will act as a consistent role model, advocate, and potential life connection.

Program Description

The goal of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program is to prevent abused and neglected children from becoming lost in the Juvenile Dependency system. The objective of matching a CASA Volunteer, a trained advocate from the community is to ensure that the child’s best interest is represented.

The volunteer has three essential roles as an advocate:

The program receives referrals directly from the Juvenile Court. CASAs are matched to the child and provide approximately 10-12 hours of service per month on casework. After reviewing the case information and court reports the volunteer consults with clinical and program staff to develop a case plan. Prior to each court hearing, the volunteer prepares a court report containing their evaluations and recommendations for the child. The Juvenile Court judge reads and considers the CASA report in addition to the social worker’s report prior to making his decision. Volunteers attend all Juvenile Court hearings that affect the rights and welfare of the child. Each court appointed volunteer is carefully screened and receives 27-32 hours of expert training in skills necessary to fulfill his or her responsibilities.

CASA volunteers are in a unique position because they provide information not usually available to the Juvenile Court. Because of the growing number of cases filed in Juvenile Court and dwindling resources to adequately monitor the cases, judges find the CASA volunteers to be positive complements to providing the information necessary to make better-informed decisions.

In addition to our services to abused and neglected children, the CASA program works to provide community education and awareness concerning the issues of child abuse, neglect and child welfare policy. We are also committed to working toward public policies that promote child abuse prevention and addressing reforms in the Juvenile Dependency/Foster Care system.

Values

At CASA of Sonoma County, we believe every child deserves to be seen, heard, and valued for who they are. The youth we serve come from diverse racial, cultural, gender, religious, and ability backgrounds — and their experiences within the child welfare system are deeply shaped by these identities. This is about strengthening the heart of CASA advocacy — building trust, centering the child’s voice, recognizing systemic inequities, and showing up as advocates who are informed, compassionate, and culturally responsive.

We value every child’s right to be safe
We value diversity, equity and inclusion
We value honesty, integrity, and transparency
We value accountability and commitment
We value advocacy, service, and collaboration

CASA Brochure and Volunteer Opportunity Poster:

Download our Court Appointed Special Advocates of Sonoma County (CASA) Brochure and CASA Volunteer Opportunity Poster.

Why CASA?

When the Sonoma County Juvenile Court Judge assumes jurisdiction and finds a child to be a dependent of the court, many different professionals enter the case. These include social workers, minors’ attorney, and attorneys from County Counsel, the Public Defender’s office, law enforcement officials, and counselors. Everyone involved has some interest to represent and while their intent is to serve the child, none of these professional’s time is focused solely on the child’s esteem, daily well being, personal desires/needs and interests.

The Sonoma County Juvenile Court’s objective in assigning a CASA is to provide a single consistent person who will take the time to mentor, advocate for and keep the interests and welfare of the child a priority. Serving as a complement to the deposition of the case, CASAs can provide the companionship and self-esteem enhancing support needed during a time of turbulence and confusion.

The CASA of Sonoma County Program provides representation without charge to children between the ages of birth to twenty-one, who have been adjudged dependent children of the court under Welfare and Institution Code Sections 300 and 602. CASA is one of 44 similar programs across the state and 900 across the United States. We are a member of the National and State CASA Associations.

Program Goals

To reduce the trauma of children in the Juvenile Court dependency system by matching a child with a trained CASA volunteer who will offer support through a long-term consistent relationship. The volunteer will explore and recommend resource options available to the child and offer the child guidance in understanding and dealing with the complex, unfamiliar court and child welfare systems.

To advocate vigorously for the rights of abused and neglected children in Sonoma County ensuring that all “reasonable efforts” have been made for a child at every stage of the court dependency process.

To improve the quality of information presented to the Juvenile Court, on behalf of the child, by informing the court of the child’s adjustment and state of mind by gathering relevant information and making appropriate case recommendations documented in a written court report.

To develop and implement a sound program management plan with a comprehensive strategy for the recruitment, retention, supervision, and training of a competent volunteer corps that is ethnically, racially, and linguistically representative of the population to be served.

Annual Objectives

To serve 180-200 abused and neglected children annually
To provide supervision and support to the 160-180 active CASA volunteers
To assist these volunteers in submitting 300-380 court reports documenting their child’s life and needs
To work in collaboration with the children welfare system, the courts and the child to assure that the child’s need are met and heard
To remind the community that abused and neglected children need our help

Financials:

You will find CASA of Sonoma County’s audited financial statements and IRS Forms 990 below:

Meet The Children

Success Stories

The following are a few success stories we’d like to share with you; evidence of the meaningful impact of CASA work.

“I gave him his backpack and new clothing for school. He did not say much and just went to his room. A few minutes later he walked out with his new jeans and t-shirt on. He said, ‘I am going to wear these everyday;’ we laughed and later he said, ‘I have never had new clothing’.” — Tracy (A CASA volunteer)

“I observed him from across the room in the recreation center, jumping up and down and shouting. I approached him gingerly, and, as I came closer I could now hear what he was saying, ‘I got a CASA and he’s coming to see me tomorrow!’ It was moving to witness this young boy’s happiness, considering all he had already gone through in his young life.” — Jamie (A CASA volunteer and group home social worker)

“We have rules in the group home about tattoos, so you can imagine that I was disappointed when Barry, one of the youths in my group had drawn a tattoo on his arm. I approached Barry and asked him to wash the tattoo off. He was hesitant and didn’t want to do it, so I asked him to come with me and I would help him. As I grabbed the soap and looked at his arm I noticed that the tattoo said ‘I Heart George’. I asked him, ‘Barry, who’s George?’, and he answered, ‘My CASA friend’. Well.. right then and there I decided there’s an exception to every rule.” — Liz (Social Worker)

Join those who support and care about the future of CASA by adding your comments and testimonials to Great Nonprofits. Your comments matter and do make a big difference! Try using stories, recent events, or examples of how CASA and/or your work with CASA has made an impact to your life, our children’s lives and our community. Please make sure to keep the confidentiality!

Mary Ellen’s Story

MaryEllen is not here with us; her case took place in 1874, but she is here with us in spirit because her case is regarded as the beginning of public concern for abused and neglected children.

MaryEllen was a child born out-of-wedlock whose mother and father were dead. The New York Commission of Charities and Correction had given her to a Mr. and Mrs. Connolly who were to care for her and report each year on their progress.

The Connollys abused her. She was beaten, locked in her room and rarely allowed outside, and she was not given adequate food or clothing. A neighbor who had been upset by the child’s screaming told a mission worker. The mission worker could find no one to intervene; the police had no grounds because no crime was being committed; and the agencies wouldn’t get involved since they didn’t have legal custody.

An appeal was finally made to Henrey Bergh, the founder and president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He believed MaryEllen should be entitled to at least the same protection against cruelty that was already given, by law, to animals. He took up her cause and persuaded a judge to hear her case.

MaryEllen was carried into the courtroom wrapped in a horse blanket. This is what she said: “My mother and father are dead. I don’t know how old I am. I call Mrs. Connolly ‘mama’. I have never had but one pair of shoes, but I cannot recollect when that was. My bed at night has been a piece of carpet stretched on the floor underneath a window. Mama has been in the habit of whipping me with a twisted whip – a raw hide. (Mama) struck me with a scissors and cut me. I have no recollection of ever having been kissed by anyone – I have never been kissed by Mama. Whenever Mama went out, I was locked up in the bedroom. I do not want to go back and live with Mama, because she beats me so.”

MaryEllen was removed from the people who mistreated her. Her case stirred public attention and complaints began to pour in to Henrey Bergh. So many cases of child-beating and cruelty to children came to light that a community meeting of citizens was called and an association “for the defense of outraged childhood” was formed. That association gave rise to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which was incorporated the year after Mary Ellen’s case.

About Us

Mission Statement

Program Description

The volunteer has three essential roles as an advocate:

Represent the Child

Research, Assess, Report

Support the Child

Values

CASA Brochure and Volunteer Opportunity Poster:

Why CASA?

Program Goals

Annual Objectives

Financials:

Meet The Children

Success Stories

Mary Ellen’s Story

CASA Staff

Executive Director

Program Manager

Advocate Supervisor

Advocate Supervisor

Advocate Supervisor

Advocate Supervisor

Program Assistant/Office Manager

Communications & Outreach Coordinator

Bookkeeping

Office Interns and Volunteers

CASA Board of Directors

Founding Executive Director

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Agency Advisors, Liaisons and Faculty Consultants

Hon. Arnold Rosenfield

Millie Gilson, MSW

Honorable Commissioner Daniel Chester

Madaliene Sowers

Cazzie Brown

Hon. Kenneth J. Gnoss

Donna Broadbent

Megan Burns

Chase Holt

Bob Chapman

Vanessa Azevedo

Rafael Vasquez

Joanna Paun

Historians

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