Court Appointed Special Advocates For Children history

When it commenced in November 1980, it was one of only a handful of CASA programs established in the nation.

The Association opened its national headquarters office in Seattle, Washington, in the summer of 1984, and launched a membership and fundraising drive.

On April 22, 1985, President Ronald Reagan presented the National CASA Association with the President's Volunteer Action Award for "outstanding volunteer contribution, demonstrating accomplishment through voluntary action".

The Ohio CASA/GAL Association organized in May 1987 as a result of a conference funded by the Ohio Juvenile Judges Association.

In January 1988, the Ohio CASA/GAL Association addressed the Ohio Legislature on a major piece of Ohio child abuse and neglect legislation, Senate Bill 89.

National CASA has also received support from the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation since 1989.

In July of 1990, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges named CASA "Outstanding Volunteer Program" in America's juvenile and family courts.

In July of 1991, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, United States Department of Justice, named CASA an "Exemplary National Program in Juvenile Delinquency Prevention".

In December of 1992, David Soukup, founder of CASA, was recognized with an award from the Caring Institute of Washington, D.C. Also in 1992, Congress initiated funding of a grant program to expand CASA representation of abused and neglected children.

The Association, incorporated in June 1994, provides technical assistance and support to both existing and developing CASA/GAL programs.

CASA was founded in 1995 by a former foster mother who had seen decisions made for a child living in her home end with tragic results.

In 2007, Kenton County established a Family Court Division for the Circuit Court Judiciary.

In January of 2008, the Court appointed a Board of Directors and the program was incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.

The first significant independent financial contribution for the program came from The Butler Foundation in May 2009.

In continuing our efforts to advocate for abused and neglected children in Northern Kentucky the CASA program began a pilot program with the Campbell County Court system in the fall of 2012.

The program officially began Court Appointed Special Advocacy services to both Kenton & Campbell County Family Courts on July 1, 2014.

Expansion occurred again in the fall of 2017 as the program piloted into Pendleton County.