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- EIN 04-2711865
- (508) 757-9877
- 100 Grove St Ste 403 Worcester MA 01605 USA
- www.casaworcestercounty.org
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Children & Youth, Children & Youth Services, Civil Rights, Crime & Law, Domestic Violence, Human Services, Protection Against Abuse
Mission: The organization recruits, trains, supervises and supports volunteers from the community to be appointed as court appointed special advocates on behalf of children in the foster care system that have been abused or neglected. The organization operated within worcester county and through the 5 juvenile courts in worcester county (dudley, milford, worcester, fitchburg and leominster). In 2017 the organization trained 155 new volunteers for a total of 315 volunteers. That dedicated corps of volunteers served on 425 cases and advocated for 787 children to quickly move them from foster care to a permanent, safe and supportive home. The organization served approximately 50% of the children in need of an advocate. The organization goal is to be able to serve all 1,700 children by the year 2020.
Programs: The organization trains, supervises and supports volunteer community advocates appointed by the court as guardians ad litem for children who have been abused, neglected or exploited. The organization's activities are conducted under the authority of the worcester juvenile court and its sessions in the district courts of milford, leominster, dudley and fitchburg. Casa volunteers work with all service providers for children. The organization serves approximately 600 children each year, with approximately 200 community volunteers. There is a need for children to be represented in court. In most court proceedings, children are not present and are represented by an attorney, who speaks for the wishes of the child. The case is assigned to a dcf social worker with numerous cases. A casa serves one child or sibling group and offers individualized advocacy during the life of the case. A casa advocate speaks for the best interest of the child.