History of CASA Programs
In 1976, Superior Court Judge David Soukup of Seattle, Washington, concluded that he was not obtaining sufficient relevant facts during case hearings necessary to ensure that the long-term welfare of the child was being represented. To address this concern, he developed the concept of recruiting and training community volunteers to represent the best interest of the child in court proceedings. In 1977, the first CASA pilot program was implemented in Seattle. The purpose of the CASA program is to ensure that abused and neglected children receive high-quality, sensitive, effective, and timely representation in court hearings.
In 1978, the National Center for State Courts selected the Seattle CASA program as the best national example of citizens participating in juvenile justice, resulting in the replication of the program in courts across the country. By 1982, it was clear that a national association was needed to coordinate the 54 existing state and local CASA programs and provide training and technical assistance. As a result, in 1984 National CASA Association (NCASAA) was incorporated and its headquarters office was opened in Seattle.
At the time NCASAA was incorporated, there were 107 state and local CASA programs in 26 states. As of 2016, there are 950 state, local, and tribal CASA programs in 49 states that have served an estimated 250,500 children.
In 1978, the National Center for State Courts selected the Seattle CASA program as the best national example of citizens participating in juvenile justice, resulting in the replication of the program in courts across the country. By 1982, it was clear that a national association was needed to coordinate the 54 existing state and local CASA programs and provide training and technical assistance. As a result, in 1984 National CASA Association (NCASAA) was incorporated and its headquarters office was opened in Seattle.
At the time NCASAA was incorporated, there were 107 state and local CASA programs in 26 states. As of 2016, there are 950 state, local, and tribal CASA programs in 49 states that have served an estimated 250,500 children.
For more information on Judge David Soukup please click here.
