About Us
What is CASA?
CASA is Court Appointed Special Advocates trained to represent the best interest of children in juvenile abuse and neglect court cases. CASA is a local, nonprofit organization in communities all across the nation. Since CASA’s national inception, CASA volunteers have helped more than two million children find safe, permanent homes.
CASA of East Tennessee, Inc. was established in 1987 in Knox County when Judge Carey E. Garrett became aware of a growing nationwide CASA movement responding to the needs of Juvenile Court Judges for assistance in abuse and neglect cases. He believed that a CASA organization in Knoxville could assist the juvenile court system in our area through gathering critical information about the lives of the children within the system. Since then, we’ve been working daily to fulfill our mission improve the lives of abused and neglected children through trained volunteers who advocate for a safe, permanent, loving home. CASA provides highly trained citizen volunteers to advocate for children who come under the protection of juvenile court. The goal of our intervention is to represent the best interests of each child we serve. CASA of East Tennessee, Inc. is a member of the network of the National CASA Association.
How do CASA volunteers help children in our community?
CASA volunteers are everyday citizens judges appoint to advocate for the safety and well-being of children who have been removed from their homes due to parental abuse and neglect. They stand up for these children and change their lives.
CASA volunteers listen first. Then they act.
Volunteers get to know the child and talk with everyone in that child’s life—parents and relatives, foster parents, teachers, medical professionals, attorneys, social workers and others. They use the information they gather to inform judges and others of what the child needs and what will be the best permanent home for them.
