Mission: The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program of McKean County, in concert with the national and state CASA programs, provides volunteers who are committed to support the local court as advocates of abused and neglected children, toward breaking the cycle of child abuse so that children can thrive in safe, permanent, nurturing homes.
Vision: CASA of McKean County envisions that all children who have experienced abuse and/or neglect have a safe, permanent and nurturing home in the shortest time frame possible.
When a community of caring people come together, just about anything is possible!
Shortly after he was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas in 2009, Judge John Pavlock was asked to start a CASA program. Citing the amount of time he was devoting to his new judicial duties and an increased court schedule, Pavlock said he fully supported CASA because of the definite need, but he alone could not build the program's structure. CASA of McKean County was established in late 2013, borne out of the initative from that year’s Leadership McKean class, led by the initial Executive Director Kristin Tim. CASA of McKean County achieved nonprofit status in 2014.
Pennsylvania CASA
The Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (PA CASA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 to grow, strengthen, and unite local CASA programs so they can ensure the safety, well-being, and forever home for every abused and/or neglected child in Pennsylvania. To fulfill its mission, PA CASA supports the existing network of local CASA programs, builds new CASA programs and secures resources critical to CASA’s mission. Currently, PA CASA provides training, technical assistance, and continuous quality improvement services to the 21 local CASA programs serving 27 counties. In the remaining 40 counties, PA CASA actively pursues program development. Through statewide advocacy, PA CASA provides resources that make it easier for CASA programs to serve children. PA CASA’s vision is for every abused and/or neglected child in Pennsylvania to have access to the service and support of a CASA volunteer.
For additional information, please refer to the PA CASA website.
National CASA/GAL
Judge Soukup, a Juvenile Court Judge, watched as many parties entered and exited the juvenile dependency courtroom, but he never heard anyone speak strictly on behalf of the child. Inspiration came when Judge Soukup had insufficient information to make a life-changing decision for a 3-year-old girl who had suffered from child abuse. Judge Soukup’s idea of training volunteers to speak up in the courtroom on behalf of a child’s best interests came to fruition in 1977. The first CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program was established in Seattle (King County), Washington, and was endorsed as a model for safeguarding a child’s rights to a safe and permanent family by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. As the program model continued to grow and develop in other states, the National CASA Association was formed in Seattle in 1984. Currently, there are nearly 1,000 CASA programs throughout the United States. The CASA/GAL network has reached over 2 million children since National CASA/GAL’s inception.
The National CASA/GAL Association, together with state and local member programs, supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so every child who has experienced abuse or neglect can be safe, have a permanent home, and the opportunity to thrive.
For additional information, please refer to the National CASA/GAL website.