Welcome !

Each year, thousands of children are thrust into court through no fault of their own. Some are victims of violence, psychological torment, or sexual abuse. Others have been neglected or abandoned by their own parents. Most are frightened and confused. Often these children also become victims of the overburdened child welfare system - a complex legal network of lawyers, social workers, and judges who are too frequently overworked to give thorough, detailed attention to each child.

A National Institute of Justice study indicated being abused or neglected as a child increased the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 59 percent. Abuse and neglect increased the likelihood of adult criminal behavior by 28 percent and violent crime by 30 percent. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, as many as two-thirds of people in drug treatment programs reported being abused as children (2000). It is estimated that approximately one-third of abused and neglected children will eventually victimize their own children (Prevent Child Abuse New York, 2001).

Here in Georgia, every day 90 children are victims of confirmed abuse or neglect. Every day, 240 incidents of child abuse and neglect are reported and 60 children died from abuse and neglect in 2007.

The sooner a child is placed in a safe permanent home, the greater his chances of overcoming the past and becoming a healthy productive member of the community. Finding that safe permanent home is the mission of the CASA volunteer. Children, like these innocent victims who do not understand their rights or the legal system they are mired in, cannot advocate for themselves. Without a CASA volunteer they can quite literally be lost.

Click on the links below to read real stories about children right here in metro Atlanta whose futures are brighter because of the efforts of their CASA volunteers.