Share CASA

Resources for spreading awareness about the CASA mission and telling your friends about the need for CASA volunteers

Facebook and Instagram Reels

Click on the link to access the post you like, then share it with your friends!

Shareable Images

Click on the image you want to share to load it in a page by itself, then save it to your device so you can post it to your favorite social media channel. For help, email info@casaoflexington.org.

Men of CASA Images

General CASA images

Shareable videos

Tap the more button (three dots) on any of these videos and click share to share with your friends. Email info@casaoflexington.org if you need help.

Downloadable/Printable

You can download these informational CASA materials and print or email them to prospective volunteers. Click the image of the file to begin the download. Email info@casaoflexington.org if you need help.

Shareable Facts

When you tell people about CASA of Lexington, they often have questions about the program. Prepare yourself to answer those questions with these facts:

• CASA volunteers complete a 30-hour training before they take a case. These trainings are usually in-person but virtual trainings are sometimes available.

• CASA volunteers give about 5-10 hours a month on average. This time is spent visiting with the child they are matched with, talking to adults involved in the child’s life, reviewing educational and medical records, writing reports for the judge on the child’s case and attending court once every few months.

• There is a great need for more CASA volunteers of color and more male CASA volunteers. While half the children we serve are male, fewer than 1 in 5 CASA volunteers are male. Similarly, while more than 40% of CASA children come from families of color, CASA volunteers of color make up only about 10% of our volunteer base.

• CASA volunteers must be at least 21 years old, complete a background check process, go through training and observe family court before they can take a case. There is no educational requirement, but being able to write clearly and concisely is necessary when composing your reports for the judge. All CASA volunteers commit to at least two years of service.

• CASA volunteers do not provide care or transportation for children. Each CASA volunteer visits their assigned child at least monthly and spends time with them in order to assess their personal well-being, the condition of their living arrangement and more.

• CASA volunteers’ are not investigators; they are information gatherers. The CASA volunteer’s job is to gather as much information about a child’s life as possible and connect the dots from the child’s needs to resources and potential solutions. It is up to the judge to act (or not) on a CASA volunteer’s recommendations, and it is the responsibility of others to fulfill the judge’s orders.

• CASA volunteers have the unique duty of advocating solely for the best interests of the child. Unfortunately, this focus on the child’s needs can be overlooked when a CASA volunteer is not on a case. Social workers, judges and attorneys are all overworked and have little time to dedicate to any one child.

• If someone is unsure whether serving as a CASA volunteer is right for them and you don’t have the answers they need, you can connect them with CASA staff at info@casaoflexington.org or (859) 246-4313. It’s also OK to sign up for CASA training even if you’re unsure about becoming a volunteer. Many people use the training experience to figure out if it’s a good fit.

• 100% of the family court judges in CASA of Lexington’s seven-county service area use their CASA volunteers to help on tough cases. And nearly all of them say the CASA report is the first thing they read when a hearing is coming up. Our judges say CASA volunteers routinely provide vital information that was missed by others and come up with creative solutions no one else has thought of.

• CASA of Lexington is one of more than 20 CASA programs in Kentucky and one of close to 1,000 CASA programs in the nation. We are the largest CASA program in the state, with close to 300 volunteers serving each calendar year. We serve children with cases in Bourbon, Fayette, Garrard, Jessamine, Lincoln, Scott and Woodford counties. If someone is interested in serving in a different county, they can visit www.kentuckycasanetwork.org to find the program serving their area.

• Our CASA volunteers say they find the work incredibly fulfilling and life-changing, not just for the children but for themselves, as well. They say it can be hard work and it is frustrating at times. But it is more than worth it when they can improve an outcome for a child and know that it will have a ripple effect throughout that child’s life.

• A common response from people learning about CASA is that they would get too attached to the children or they’re afraid the work would break their heart. You can respond to these kinds of comments by first acknowledging that CASA volunteer work is not for everyone. Then, explain that abuse and neglect is happening to kids whether or not we see it personally. Serving as a CASA volunteer is one way you can face the reality of what these children are going through and actually do something that makes their lives better. (as James Baldwin famously wrote, “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”)