EVALUATION OF CASA/GAL REPRESENTATION

EVALUATION OF CASA REPRESENTATION
Final Report
Prepared by:
Caliber Associates
10530 Rosehaven Street
Suite 400
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Tel: (703) 385-3200
Fax: (703) 385-3206 TABLE OF CONTENTS
EVALUATION OF CASA REPRESENTATION
1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1
2. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................1
3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS .....................................................................................8
3.1 Volunteer Characteristics, Training, and Activities.....................................8
3.2 Services, Permanency Plans, and Placement ...............................................9
3.3 Comparisons Between Children With and Without CASA Volunteers ......9
4. DATA COLLECTION ..........................................................................................10
5. FINDINGS.............................................................................................................12
5.1 COMET Sample Description.....................................................................12
5.2 Volunteer Characteristics, Training, and Activities...................................14
5.3 Services, Permanency Plans, and Placement .............................................24
5.4 Comparisons Between Children With and Without CASA Volunteers ....32
6. DISCUSSION........................................................................................................46
REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................50
APPENDIX Caliber Associates 1
NCASAA EVALUATION PROJECT
1. INTRODUCTION
Each year child welfare agencies investigate between 2.5 and 3 million allegations of
child maltreatment, of which cases will be substantiated for one third of children. Working with
these children are 70,000 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA volunteers) who help
children as they progress through the child welfare system and represent their best interests in
court. The current study represents an exciting opportunity to examine the short and longer-term
impacts of CASA volunteers on children and families in contact with the child welfare system
and to expand knowledge of CASA programs and services. With the support of the Packard
Foundation, the National CASA Association (NCASAA) and Caliber Associates combined data
collected through NCASAA’s management information system (COMET) with data collected
through the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), a Federally
sponsored national survey of children and their families. This report presents the study’s
findings and suggestions for future research.

Read More: http://www.nccpr.org/reports/casa.pdf