A CASA Volunteer is a trained community member that is appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children in foster care in accordance with PA Juvenile Act (Title 42 Act PA C.C. Sec. 6301 et.seq.)
Qualifications
A CASA must be 21 years of age* or older.
The applicant must successfully complete the application process, which includes:
- An online application
- Three references, two of whom are unrelated to the applicant
- An interview with CASA staff members
- Necessary background clearances**
- PA State Criminal Clearance
- ChildLine Clearance
- FBI Fingerprint National Criminal Clearance
- Mandated Reporter online training**
- National Sex Offender Registry Check
- Lancaster County Children and Youth Social Service Agency Records Check
- Social Security verification
- 30 hours of training with CASA staff; our curriculum is provided by our National CASA Association
A CASA must:
- have the ability to keep all case and court information completely confidential
- be able to communicate effectively, both written and orally
- have the ability to respect people from various backgrounds
- have the ability to transport themselves
- follow guidelines set forth by CASA of Lancaster County, in accordance with the National CASA Association
Volunteers shall be recruited and accepted into the CASA of Lancaster County program without regard to race, gender, age (21 years and older), religion, nationality, color, creed, disability or sexual orientation.
*Must be 21 years of age at time of application.
**Please note that these background checks need to be renewed every four years as per affiliation with the National CASA Association.
Interested in learning more? Register to attend one of our Becoming a CASA Information Sessions, the first step to joining our program. Each session covers the history of our organization, the role of the CASA, and next steps to joining our program.
Information sessions may be hosted in-person or virtually. They are free to attend and approximately 30-45 minutes. Use the "Register Now" button below to view our calendar, see event details, and find one that best fits your schedule.
If you have any questions, please email Sophie Wanner, Senior Training Manager, at sophia@casalancaster.org
