Our Philosophy

We believe every child deserves a safe and permanent home.

CASA Kane County is a Guardian ad Litem, nonprofit volunteer organization that advocates for the best interests of children in abuse and neglect cases within the Juvenile Court system.

We believe every child deserves a safe and permanent home.

We believe that all Advocates, Board of Directors, Chairman’s Advisory Panel members, and Friends of CASA should be welcomed, trained appropriately, appreciated and supported by the staff; and provided with a healthy environment in which to gather, work and volunteer.

We believe that our staff deserves a collaborative and conducive atmosphere that allows them to fulfill the organization’s mission, one that demonstrates respect and value for each individual’s talents and gifts as they enhance the leadership of the team, promotes respect for each individual’s role, opinions, time, and space; focuses on hiring competent people suited to each position in the organization; and provides continuing education opportunities.

We believe that our donors deserve to be educated and informed of CASA’s mission and goals; to see evidence of financial responsibility; to be inspired to invest in our longevity; to be recognized with respect and confidentiality for their gifts and generosity; and to have questions on how their dollars are spent answered in a timely and transparent manner.

We believe we have an obligation to our communities to elevate awareness of our program and the broader child welfare concerns including poverty, diversity, mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence and other issues impacting families; and to continually extend collaborative efforts among other community agencies and court partners to achieve common goals.

We believe that our goals and objectives must always be aligned with our mission, vision, and values. We take great pride in being an organization that is united with our judicial partners to ensure that all maltreated children have the right to competent, well-trained CASA/GAL volunteers who will positively impact their lives and future outcomes.

A Child's Bill Of Rights

Through caring and dedicated volunteers, CASA of Kane County will advocate for all children in need, will generate awareness of their plight, and will cultivate strong partnerships with individuals and organizations committed to bettering the lives of abused and neglected children. CASA of Kane County will advocate for the best interests of each and every one of its children, and in doing so, help ensure that the child client’s rights listed below are received and respected.

Every Child Has A Right to:

To a safe, healthy, and appropriate environment, either with his/her biological family, with an adoptive family, or in continuing foster care.

To be informed of his/her rights as a youth in care, and to be an active participant in their case when appropriate.

To confidential communications with his/her attorney, caseworker, and CASA Volunteer, and to have his/her privacy protected.

To have his/her best interests represented at every court hearing by the CASA/GAL who is represented by an attorney.

To receive necessary medical, dental, vision, hearing, and mental health services.

To have consistent access to quality education, guidance, and preparation for adulthood.

To practice his/her religion and uphold their cultural values without restriction, and to participate in extra-curricular, community, and life-enriching activities when appropriate.

To be protected from physical, emotional, sexual, and other forms of abuse, and to be safeguarded from discrimination.

 

To have consistent and healthy visits with siblings and other family members if deemed appropriate by the court.

To receive consistent, high quality child welfare services for the duration of his/her time in care.