Concerned over making decisions about abused and neglected children's lives without sufficient information, a Seattle judge conceived the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of these children in court. So successful was this Seattle program that soon judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. In 1990, the U.S. Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA with passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act. Today more than 900 CASA programs are in operation, with 70,000 women and men serving as CASA volunteers. CASA is an acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocate.

The United States Department of Justice has supported CASA since 1985 through its Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In 1991 it named CASA an "Exemplary National Program in Juvenile Delinquency Prevention."

 

History of Nebraska CASA Programs:

Programs established:

1986 - Sarpy County CASA, Papillion

1988 - Dodge County CASA, Fremont

1992 - CASA Connection, Columbus

1994 - CASA of South Central NE, Hastings

1994 - Keith/Perkins County CASA, Ogallala

1995 - CASA of SE Nebraska, Crete

1995 - Red Willow County CASA, McCook includes Furnace County and Hitchcock County - forms Prairie Plains CASA

1995 - Saunders County CASA, Wahoo

1995 - Scotts Bluff County CASA, Scottsbluff

1995 - Heartland CASA, Grand Island includes Hall, Hamilton and Merrick Counties

1996 - Fillmore County CASA, Geneva

1996 - Seward County CASA, Seward

1996 - Buffalo County CASA, Kearney

1997 - CASA of NE Nebraska, Norfolk includes Madison County

1997 - Clay County CASA, Clay Center

1997 - Phelps County CASA, Holdrege

1998 - Douglas County CASA, Omaha

1999 - CASA for Lancaster County, Lincoln

2000 - Butler County joins CASA Connection, David City

2000 - Dakota County CASA, South Sioux City

2000 - Kearney County CASA, Minden

2000 - York County joins Seward County, York

2001 - Dawson/Gosper County CASA, Lexington

2002 - Fillmore County CASA, Geneva

2003 - York County CASA separates from Seward County

2003 - Saline County CASA

2006 - Cass County CASA

2006 - Gage  County and Jefferson County Join Fillmore County to form CASA of Southeast Nebraska