National CASA/GAL Association

The National CASA/GAL Association trains and supports court-appointed special advocates (CASA) and guardian ad litem (GAL) volunteers to advocate for children’s best interests once a child who has experienced abuse or neglect has been placed in foster care.

With the contribution from the WellSky Foundation, National CASA/GAL will recruit and train additional child advocates, leading to more children being placed in safe, permanent homes and with their families of origin whenever safely possible. The grant will also provide funding for CASA of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties (Kansas).

“When children don’t have safety, security, and life’s most basic needs, their chances of thriving in childhood and adulthood are significantly diminished. While we currently serve 242,000 children nationally, there are over 100,000 who still need the powerful voice of a CASA/GAL volunteer to advocate for their best interests. The support from the WellSky Foundation helps us not only continue to provide pre-service and in-service training of volunteers and staff but helps recruit more volunteers.”

— Tara Lisa Perry, Director Chief Executive Officer for National CASA/GAL