7th Circuit CASA Program In Spanish, CASA means home. In today's juvenile court system, CASA refers to a Court Appointed Special Advocate. These trained community volunteers are appointed by a Judge to represent the best interest of abused and neglected children in our community. The CASA concept is based on the belief that every child has a right to a safe, permanent, loving home.
The 7th Circuit CASA Program, located in Rapid City, SD, serves 4 counties in Western South Dakota. Incorporated in 1986, the organization has grown from advocating for 1 child in 1988, to advocating for 175 children in 2008.
Our CASA volunteers are people like you and me who care about children and their well-being. They work alongside attorneys and social workers as officers of the court. When a CASA volunteers is appointed to a case by the Judge, they gather information on the child or children by reviewing records and talking with anyone who has information about the child, such as parents, teachers, neighbors, doctors, therapists, school officials, and most importantly, the child.
What We Do
We provide advocate training that all of our volunteers must attend prior to taking a case which will enable our CASA advocates to act as the .eyes and ears. of the court, while providing a .voice. for the child.
The 7th Circuit CASA Program is a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax-exempt organization. For more information on the 7th Circuit CASA Program, or Black Hills On Board, please contact our office at 605-394-2203 or online at www.casaofrapidcity.org.
