About Us

The Allen County Office of GAL/CASA (also dba Allen County CASA) is under the supervision of Allen Superior Court, Family Relations Division. The program is affiliated with the Indiana State Office of GAL/CASA, which is part of the Indiana Supreme Court, Division of State Court Administration. Allen County CASA is certified by the State Office and complies with the Indiana Supreme Court Program Standards and Code of Ethics for GAL/CASA programs. Allen County CASA is also a member of the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association.

In 2022, more than 3,450 volunteers from local CASA programs in Indiana advocated for 18,918 abused and neglected children. In the same year,186 Allen County CASA volunteers served 756 children, with many remarkable success stories. But there is a tremendous need for additional volunteers. Every year in our community, more than 900 children are recognized by the court as victims of abuse or neglect. About 600 will be served by volunteer advocates. The remaining 300 are served by staff advocates or attorney GALs but would greatly benefit from a volunteer advocate.

Allen County CASA recruits, trains and supports CASA volunteers as advocates to get to know the abused or neglected child and determine their needs and recommend what is in the child’s best interest. The CASA volunteer communicates this information about the child to the court so the child’s voice can be heard and so the child does not become “lost” in the system.

The CASA volunteer helps the child to understand what is going on in the case and provides a friendly face, support, stability, and consistency for the child during legal proceedings amidst a sea of unfamiliar people - including police, doctors, child welfare workers, and lawyers. By presenting the best interests of abused and neglected children to the court, advocates help judges to make better informed and more timely decisions about children so they can be returned home or placed in a safe and permanent home as quickly as possible.

In addition to speaking for the child in court, CASA volunteers assist children in other ways to recover from the situations that placed them in foster care - providing encouragement and support to enable them to lead healthy, productive lives. Advocates serve as role models to children who often have no one else to turn to. For example, many advocates assist with educational needs, encourage career interests, and develop meaningful relationships with their assigned children that have a lifelong impact on both the children and the volunteer.

For more information about CASA organizations in Indiana and across the United States, visit www.in.gov/judiciary/galcasa or www.NationalCASA.org.

Allen County CASA serves all children as appointed by the Court and does not discriminate in the delivery of services based on race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Allen County CASA provides telephonic language interpretation services through Propio to clients with limited English proficiency as needed and as related to communicating with staff and volunteer advocates.