Over 1,200 abused and neglected children filter through the Johnson and Wyandotte County court systems each year - alone, frightened, unheard. Many lack the love, care and attention that most of us take for granted. As a result, a staggering number leave the system for a life of crime, homelessness and welfare.

CASA of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties changes the lives of these children by providing them with a voice in court. CASA advocates play a crucial role by monitoring a child's situation and reporting findings to the court. Their observations help judges make better, more informed decisions regarding the best interests of children. Maybe more importantly, CASA advocates also fulfill the role of a caring and trusting adult presence in the lives of the children they serve. They are role models who shares a child's emotions, and listens to their triumph and fears.

Each year, CASA advocates dedicate more than 12,000 hours to children in our community. Every hour focused on the same goal - to give each child a chance at happiness and the stability that all kids need in order to thrive.

On any given day, 500,000 children in the US are living in foster care because they cannot live safely at home. But only half of these kids have someone who speaks out just for them—a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA volunteer.

CASA volunteers (sometimes called Guardians Ad Litem, or GAL volunteers) are appointed by judges to be the independent eyes and ears of the court, watching over and advocating for a child until the child is placed in a safe, permanent home.

The National CASA Association links a network of 954 local CASA programs in 49 states. Last year, 59,000 CASA volunteers served 240,000 children and youth living in foster care, getting them into safe, permanent homes sooner and saving taxpayers an estimated $582 billion. It’s a huge return on a very modest investment—the cost to give a kid a CASA volunteer is just $950 a year.