Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San Mateo County partners caring adults with children who have come under the court’s protection because their parents can’t or won’t take care of them.

Navigating the System Alone

Imagine you’ve been removed from the custody of your parents, not because of something you’ve done, but because of something awful—an alcoholic mother who can’t put food on the table for days in a row, or a father whose threats become punches.

You’re funneled into an intimidating court system filled with strangers. There’s no one to provide the love, support, and guidance you need. From now on, you’ll be lonely and scared and will have no consistent, caring adult in your life to help you navigate and overcome life’s challenges.

Many kids in this situation just give up. They get into trouble, and they’re at risk of falling into the same bad behavior as their parents and starting the cycle all over again.

You can help

Through the support of our donors, CASA helps stop the cycle.

We bring a Special Advocate into the life of a child whose parents can’t or won’t take care of him—a sort of guardian angel; a normal, everyday San Mateo County resident who spends time every week with a kid in crisis.

Advocates do ordinary things, like go to the movies or attend a dance recital… maybe for the first time in the child’s life.

But what sets a CASA Special Advocate apart is that she also gets to know the child’s world, so she can help the court provide him the best possible life under traumatic circumstances.

Mountains of cases are filed in San Mateo County Juvenile Court each year, and the resources to investigate them have dwindled dramatically. Judges are often forced to make life-determining decisions based on sparse information.

Special Advocates make sure that kids don’t get lost in the over-burdened legal system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home.

The information above can be found on the official website of Advocates for Children – CASA of San Mateo County. For more details about the organization and to find out how you can volunteer, please visit their website: http://www.casaofsanmateo .org