CASA for Lancaster County (casa4lancaster.org) is seeking volunteers. A new training session for prospective volunteers is set to begin on August 26. The six-week training course will be held Tuesday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. at the CASA for Lancaster County office, 1141 H St., Suite C, on the third floor.
CASA volunteers are trained community members appointed to advocate for abused and neglected children involved in juvenile court proceedings through no fault of their own. Volunteers are granted a court order that allows them to access the child and all their records to help determine the child’s needs.
Volunteers get to know the children they’re assigned to and interview involved parties to gather information. They then present the child’s wishes and advocate for services or next steps by making recommendations to the judge.
CASA volunteers are required to attend approximately 30 hours of pre-service training and 12 hours of in-service (continuing education) each year. They are supervised by CASA staff members. In 2024, CASA for Lancaster County served 289 children, trained 28 new volunteers, and had 117 volunteers assigned to cases.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a volunteer or about CASA for Lancaster County, go to casa4lancaster.org.