Be the voice for a child in foster care.
Become an Advocate.
Change a child’s story
Help a child in foster care find a permanent, safe & loving home.
Court Appointed Special Advocates are community volunteers who speak up for the best interests of children in foster care. Each CASA is appointed to a child or a group of siblings to be a stable and consistent relationship for them as they go through the foster care system. Volunteer CASAs work for the best interests of kids by advocating for their safety and permanency.
There’s a record number of children in Montana’s foster care system.
In the past decade, Yellowstone County has experienced a significant increase of children removed from their homes and placed into foster care. Nation-wide, the state of Montana has one of the highest populations of children in foster care per capita with Yellowstone County accounting for approximately 25% of all statewide removals each year.
600 kids are currently in foster care in Yellowstone County.
Children in foster care have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect
CASA of Yellowstone County serves children 0 -18 years of age in foster care.
On average, children will spend 18-24 months in the local foster care system.
Of the 600 kids in local foster care, 200 have a CASA Advocate.
Per capita, Montana has one of the highest numbers of children in foster care.
Kids still need an advocate.
Advocates Make a Difference!
Children in foster care who have a volunteer Advocate experience better outcomes and increased resilience.
Less time in foster care
Less likely to re-enter protective custody
Improved educational outcomes
Recieve more services while in foster care
Higher rates of permanency
What Does An Advocate Do?
A Court Appointed Special Advocate is not an ordinary volunteer position. Advocates come from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. Volunteer Advocates are committed to being the one constant for a child while their case moves through foster care. Other professionals will change frequently in the child’s life, but CASA Advocates provide consistency and stability, which makes all the difference for a child in foster care.
Build a Relationship
with the child
Meet with the Adults
in their life
Document & Report
everything you learn
Attend Court Hearings
Build a Relationship
Court Appointed Special Advocates visit the children on their case regularly at their foster home and school to build a relationship with them. A volunteer CASA commits to be a consistent and trusted adult for the child through the change and turmoil of foster care.
Meet With The Adults
Volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates gather information from every adult and professional involved in a child’s life, including foster parents, teachers, social workers, medical professionals, and members of the child’s family.
Document & Report
With the information they gather from everyone involved on a case, volunteer Advocates write reports that are distributed to the judge and other people involved on a case to keep everyone informed on the child’s needs and wishes.
Attend Court Hearings
In addition to writing reports, volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates attend court hearings to be the voice of the child, and to advocate for their needs and best interests.
Build a Relationship
Court Appointed Special Advocates visit the children on their case regularly at their foster home and school to build a relationship with them. A volunteer CASA commits to be a consistent and trusted adult for the child through the change and turmoil of foster care.
Meet With The Adults
Volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates gather information from every adult and professional involved in a child’s life, including foster parents, teachers, social workers, medical professionals, and members of the child’s family.
Document & Report
With the information they gather from everyone involved on a case, volunteer Advocates write reports that are distributed to the judge and other people involved on a case to keep everyone informed on the child’s needs and wishes.
Attend Court Hearings
In addition to writing reports, volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates attend court hearings to be the voice of the child, and to advocate for their needs and best interests.
You can make a difference. Become an Advocate.
CASA Stories
We love sharing these inspiring stories with you. Read about our volunteer experiences and how being a CASA has impacted them.
Milo’s CASA Story
When Milo was born, his cord blood tested positive for meth. Child and Family Services implemented a voluntary safety plan with Milo’s parents to try and keep him in parents’...
Maya & Lainey
Law enforcement was called to Lainey and Maya’s rural home on the edge of Billings when their mom and dad got into a physical altercation, and one of their parents pulled out a...
Natalie, Noah, & Nash
Natalie and Noah came into foster care for the second time after their mom relapsed into her addiction and was kicked out of her sober living home. Their dad was incarcerated and unable to parent his kids. When they came back into foster care, Noah had already spent half of his young life in the child welfare system. A judge soon appointed a newly sworn-in volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) to the two kids.
Kyla
Kyla was fourteen years old when she came into foster care. Her mom was arrested for physically assaulting her partner. Kyla tried to stop the violence and ended up getting...
Promise, Grayson, & Selah
In 2017, Promise, Grayson and Selah left the foster care system and went home to their parents’ care. Their volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate was with them for two years...
Marissa & Alejandra
Last year, Marissa and Alejandra spent their holidays away from their mom and dad. In October, the two girls were removed from the care of their parents after several incidents...
Gavin & Abby
Gavin and Abby were on their 2nd removal from their birth mother when a judge assigned a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) to their case.
Jace
Most people would never know it, but this holiday season more than 700 children are in foster care in Yellowstone County. These 700 children won’t be able to spend Christmas at home this year, because their homes aren’t safe – these children are victims of abuse and neglect. One of these children is Jace.
Aishleigh
Unrelated to any abuse or neglect, Aishleigh had lost her leg in an accident as a child, which required ongoing, proactive medical attention. Starting around Aishleigh’s freshman...
Sam, Aria, Kalvin, Zaylee, & Remi
For children in foster care, the holiday season can be a challenging time when they are reminded of their loss and the uncertain trajectory of their futures. These children are not just a number in a statistic, they have names, they have stories and they’re right here in our community – kids like Sam and his siblings.
