CASA Volunteers Save Money (Multiple State Investigation Results)
The following CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) investigations demonstrate the cost savings and economic impact of CASA programs in child protection across the nation. They do not include the value a trained community volunteer brings to each child caught up in the difficult institutional court process of Child Protective Services.
What’s it like being a child (the only child) in a courtroom with lawyers, health and social workers, and a judge after you’ve been removed from your home because of terrible things that have happened to you.
Over the year or two you will be in the court system, adults will come and go but CASA’s remain and advocate for you within this busy often overwhelmed institution.
Being a CASA volunteer is not for everyone. There’s the training and the flexibility you need in your life for the visits and courtroom meetings with the judge. Think about it though. Some volunteers stay for five or ten years. Share this with a friend you might know that is looking for a rewarding volunteer experience. It could be a life changing experience for the volunteer and many children caught up in the system through no fault of their own. Also, as you will see in the studies below, it will save your community tax dollars, and public health and safety concerns.
Learn about CASA volunteering here:
CASAMN, CASA National
Share this widely (you may change a life).
Short powerful State studies
in the Read More Below.
Nebraska CASA Study (2023): Found significant public and societal cost savings per child served by CASA in Nebraska. For each dollar invested, there is an estimated $6 return in public and social benefits. Nebraska CASA infographic and study
Key Takeaways
- CASA volunteer programs repeatedly show reductions in foster care durations, number of child placements, and reentry rates, which result in measurable savings for public agencies.
- The value of volunteer advocacy (millions of hours per year) is estimated to be equivalent to hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer savings if paid professionally.
- States and localities use CASA business case studies, cost-benefit analyses, and audit reports to support continued funding and program expansion.
These studies collectively demonstrate a clear economic and social value for CASA programs within child protection systems. Multiple studies across the United States have examined the cost savings and economic impact of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) programs:
For more details and summaries, consult these links:
- Nebraska CASA infographic and study
- National CASA cost savings and foster care statistics PDF
- Colorado CASA case study
- Minnesota benefit-cost report PDF
- National CASA GAL research/effectiveness page
These studies collectively demonstrate the measurable financial and social benefit of CASA programs in child protection.
KARA Tracks & reports on the issues of child abuse.
This article submitted by CASA volunteer Mike Tikkanen
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Republished from the Kids At Risk Action blog as written. No images from the original corpus appear in any form.
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