WHO WE ARE

MISSION

Provide statewide support for local CASA programs serving abused and neglected children through public awareness, education, and collaborative advocacy.

VISION

All abused or neglected children in the state of Maryland will be appointed their own volunteer to advocate on their behalf.

In 1977, Seattle Superior Court Judge David Soukup was concerned about trying to make decisions on behalf of abused and neglected children with very limited information. He conceived the idea of appointing community volunteers to speak up for the best interests of these children in court. He made a request for volunteers; 50 citizens responded, and that was the start of the CASA movement.

A Brief History: 

Maryland CASA Association

The first CASA program in Maryland started in 1987 and, since then, fourteen additional programs have started. Maryland CASA Association was incorporated in 1997 as a private, nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization, to advance the individual efforts of the local CASA programs, help to start new CASA programs where needed, and serve more of the state’s children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Maryland CASA officially opened its doors in 1998 and has helped to start seven new CASA programs throughout the state, expanding the number of counties served by CASA to twenty-three (and one city)! Today, Maryland CASA continues its efforts to expand CASA’s reach to the last remaining county in the state.

Local Programs

At the local level, the 14 CASA programs in Maryland do the hands-on work of recruiting, training and supervising volunteers to advocate for the best interests of children in the foster care system. Maryland CASA continues to support  efforts to expand CASA into every county in the state.

National CASA

For more than 35 years, the National CASA/GAL Association for Children has worked in service of the national network of state and local programs to strategically establish, promote and support the formation, recruitment, training, development and activities of highly effective member programs.