History of CASA

In 1976, Superior Court Judge David Soukup of Seattle, WA, saw a recurring problem in his courtroom:

"In criminal and civil cases, even though there were always many different points of view, you walked out of the courtroom at the end of the day and you said, 'I've done my best; I can live with this decision," he explains.

"But when you're involved with a child and you're trying to decide what to do to facilitate that child's growth into a mature and happy adult, you don't feel like you have sufficient information to allow you to make the right decision. You can't walk away and leave them at the courthouse at 4 o'clock. You wonder, 'Do I really know everything I should? Have I really been told all the different things? Is this really right?"

To ensure he was getting all the facts and the long-term welfare of each child was being represented, Seattle Judge Soukap came up with an idea that would change America's judicial procedure and the lives of over a million children. He obtained funding to recruit and train community volunteers to step in the courtroom on behalf of the children: Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers.

To-date, there are over 950 CASA programs nationwide and over 70,000 CASA volunteers. Thank you Judge Soukup!

About Voz de Ninos

Voz de Niños advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the court system through the training and support of community volunteers. Voz de Niños is the local Court Appointed Special Advocate program serving the abused and neglected children of Webb County.

Established in 2007, Voz de Niños is the only organization of its type in Webb County because it participates solely in civil matters affecting abused and neglected minors.

Voz de Niños Volunteers are appointed to serve as Guardian ad Litem by the presiding court. Volunteer Advocates are appointed to serve in one case at a time, and as such, they have a unique opportunity to truly serve as the voice of the abused and neglected children involved and advocate for their best interests.

For more information about other Texas CASA programs, please visit www.texascasa.org