Being a Court appointed special advocate

Become A VOICE for Children in the Courts

Norfolk CASA offers 30 hours of specialized Court Appointed Special Advocate training twice a year, with limited opportunities for independent study training.

Our training is guided by the well-cultivated, highly informed National CASA/GAL Pre-Service Training and offers our trainees a wide breadth of instruction from basics of child development, court  processes, family dynamics, cause and effects of abuse and neglect, to how to become a trauma-informed advocate for children navigating through the court and social service systems. 

In addition to classroom assignments and training, each volunteer will have the compelling opportunity to complete 10 hours of independent court observation.

​(see requirements below)


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Upcoming Pre-Service Training
Virtual: Sept 19 - Oct 26, 2023 6-8pm 
  • Additional in-person training day Oct 14, 2023 - 9am-4pm
  • Independent court observation hours.
It is a great time to submit your application to join us as a trained child advocate!
​Click here to learn more

Requirements

Becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate has only a few very important requirements you should meet before applying:
  • You must be at least 21 years old
  • You must have a strong desire to advocate for children
  • You must have reliable transportation and a cellular phone
  • You must pass all background checks*
  • We ask all of our volunteers to commit to at least 18 months of service
*Norfolk CASA completes extensive reference checks, as well as Child Protective Services, sex offender registry, and criminal background checks on all of our volunteers. Please contact us if you have questions about these background checks. 

What to expect

As a CASA volunteer, you can expect to:
  • Visit your CASA child(ren) once a month to le them know they are not alone during this time 
  • Communicate regularly with important adults in your CASA child’s life
  • Investigate, speak with professionals to verify services and to gather updates on your CASA child's progress through the court system 
  • Work closely with your supervisor (you'll never be alone in your CASA journey!) 
  • Submit reports to the judge detailing your investigation and recommendations for the best interest of your CASA child.
  • Attend your CASA kid's hearing 
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Preparing to go to court, pictured from left to right: Brittany (advocate), Rick (advocate), Jennifer (advocate), Cary Love (former Volunteer Coordinator), Olivia Rasquiza (Program Director).

Request an Info Session

Request an Information Session at a location convenient for you! Invite co-workers and host it at your place of employment, or invite your congregation members to hear more about us and host us at your place of worship. We’ll do our best to accommodate your schedule.

Request an Info Session