Child Advocates San Antonio recruits, trains, and supervises volunteers to speak on behalf of children currently in foster care that have experienced neglect and/or abuse. CASA is part of a nationwide organization of Court Appointed Special Advocates with more than 939 local chapters in 49 states, and 97,900 volunteers, helping hundreds of thousands of children find a safe and permanent home last year. Locally, Child Advocates San Antonio was established by the San Antonio chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women in 1984 and has now been serving the children of Bexar County for 40 years.

No, we use both terms to describe our Advocates since they are volunteering their time and dedication to the CASA mission.

The Advocate provides the judge with a carefully researched background of the child to help the court make a sound decision about the child's future. The Advocate must determine if it is in the child's best interest to live with the parent(s) or legal guardian, remain in foster care, or be freed for permanent adoption. The Advocate recommends placement to the court and follows through until the case is permanently resolved. Advocates work closely with, but independent of, Child Protective Services (CPS) and attorneys.

The role of the Advocate is:

To be a fact-finder for the judge.

To speak for the child in court, representing the child's best interest.

To continue to act as a 'watchdog' for the child during the life of the case, ensuring that the child's needs are met and the case is resolved swiftly and appropriately.