Making a Difference . . . One Child at a Time

Imagine you are a child who finds yourself in court the victim of abuse or neglect... in the company of a judge, attorneys, social workers... all strangers. You are scared: your world has been turned upside down. You will go home to a stranger’s dinner table, a bed in someone else’s home, and likely, a new school. You won’t have your own blanket, toys, and will not see your usual playmates or classmates-maybe not even your own siblings. You are alone.

This is the reality abused and neglected children face all the time. Far too many children have never slept in a warm bed, had clean clothes to wear, nutritious food to eat, or someone to hug. That's where CASA comes in. We provide one-to-one advocacy to help prevent children from “falling through the cracks.”

Our Mission: Volunteer Court Appointed Special Assistants (CASA) are everyday people who are appointed by judges to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in Family Court proceedings. A CASA volunteer speaks up for each child until he or she is placed into a safe, permanent and nurturing home.

Our Vision: To provide a CASA volunteer for each child who needs one.

CASA is a program of Mediation Matters, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Capital District CASA depends on community donations to support the local CASA program and receives no guaranteed funding from any source.

How you can help a child:
There are hundreds of abused and neglected children in the Capital District who need your support.

We believe that a safe, permanent, and loving home is every child’s birthright.

Capital District CASA is a member of the National CASA Association www.nationalcasa.org and the New York State CASA Association www.casanys.org

Do you have serious concerns that a child you know may be suffering from abuse or neglect? Contact the New York State Child Abuse and Maltreatment Hotline: 1-800-342-3740

Because of the sensitive nature of the issues with which CASA works, we ask that sites containing adult material not link to our site.