Child abuse and neglect cases in Kane County continue to be at an all-time high, and the need for volunteers has never been higher. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is in need of additional volunteers to be able to continue to serve every child who comes into the Juvenile courts due to abuse or neglect. 

“Our volunteers quite literally can change the course of a child’s life. I’m hard-pressed to think of a more meaningful volunteer commitment,” says Sandie Cross, CASA Kane County’s Director of Volunteer Education. “Following the pandemic there was a surge in child abuse cases and this has not slowed down. There has been an 85% increase in the number of cases over the last three years.”

CASA Kane County is a Guardian ad litem (GAL), non-profit volunteer organization that advocates for the best interests of children in abuse and neglect within the Juvenile Court system. CASA’s goal is to ensure that each foster child is placed in a safe, permanent home.  CASA Kane County utilizes an eight week, in depth training program that prepares volunteers from all backgrounds to serve as a GAL – a sworn officer of the court, whose duty is to represent and advocate for one particular child’s best interests.

Summer training session is scheduled to start on Tuesday, July 11^th for CASA/GAL Volunteers and we need volunteers more than ever. Both in-person and virtual training is available for the flexibility of the new volunteers. General Information Volunteer Meetings are held multiple times a month year-round to review the role and responsibility of being a CASA/GAL volunteer more in depth. There is also an option to go through the process online .

Need for Volunteers has never been greater! If you would like to know more about the process, commitment and how you can help, please join one of our next upcoming information meetings:

Thursday, June 29th @ 6pm – Virtually

Thursday, July 6th @ 3pm – Virtually

As a full trained officer of the court, a CASA/GAL volunteer reviews court files, along with the child’s educational and medical records. The volunteer may interview and speak with relatives, teachers, social workers and others to build the fullest understanding of the child’s circumstances.  They work to form a trusted bond with the child.  The CASA/GAL volunteer attends court hearings and writes periodic reports to the judge handling the case, offering the court information and recommendations as to what is in the child’s best interests. CASA requests that volunteers commit to volunteering for a minimum of one to three years or as long as the case is open for the child’s consistency. This results in about 5-15 hours of volunteer time in a month.  CASA also provides continuing education training.  These children have people constantly coming in and out of their lives and the CASA/GAL Volunteer is the one person they know they can count on.

CASA/GAL Volunteers come from all walks of life and are extremely valuable because of their professional and personal experiences. Volunteers do not have to be a lawyer or legally savvy to be a CASA volunteer, but over time our volunteers learn a lot about the dependency process and become legally savvy. With an increase in Spanish speaking children and families we are also seeking CASA/GAL volunteers that can speak both English and Spanish.

CASA is desperate for additional volunteers so that they can continue to serve all children that come into the Juvenile court due to abuse and/or neglect.  If you are interested in finding out more information on becoming a volunteer, please email Sandie Cross at sandiec@casakanecounty.org or call 630-443-3131.