One Consistent Adult Can Change Everything: Why Our Community Needs More CASA Volunteers
By Christa Horn
The little boy sat in a plastic chair that was too big for him, his feet dangling inches above the floor. He was three years old and had already lived in four different homes. When the judge asked if anyone had anything to add before the hearing ended, one person spoke up.
His CASA volunteer.
She didn’t use big legal words. She talked about how he finally sleeps through the night now. How he runs to the door when he sees his foster dad’s truck. How he is learning his colors. How he still hides food in his pockets because he once didn’t know when his next meal would come.
That moment didn’t make headlines. But it changed the direction of that child’s life.
Court Appointed Special Advocates — CASA volunteers — are everyday people who step into extraordinary circumstances. They are trained community members appointed by judges to advocate for children who have been abused or neglected. In the middle of court hearings, case plans, placements, and uncertainty, the CASA volunteer becomes the one constant adult whose only job is to ask: What is truly best for this child?
In our community, too many children enter the child welfare system each year through no fault of their own. They lose their homes, their schools, sometimes their siblings, and often their sense of safety — all at once.
A CASA volunteer can’t fix everything. But they can do something powerful: show up.
They attend court hearings. They visit the child regularly. They talk with teachers, therapists, foster parents, and biological families. They make sure the child’s voice is heard in a system that can feel overwhelming and impersonal.
And the impact is real.
Children with CASA volunteers are more likely to receive needed services, succeed in school, and find safe, permanent homes sooner. But beyond the statistics, there is the human impact — a child who finally believes someone is paying attention.
I think of a teenage girl who once told her volunteer, “You’re the only adult who didn’t give up on me.”
I think of a sibling group who asked if their CASA could come to their adoption day because “she’s part of our family now.”
I think of a toddler who learned to trust again because one person kept their promise to come back.
Right now, there are more children in need of CASA volunteers than there are volunteers available. That means some children walk into courtrooms with no one whose sole focus is their well-being.
We can do better.
You don’t need to be a lawyer. You don’t need a social work degree. You just need compassion, reliability, and the willingness to stand beside a child when their world feels unstable.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make a meaningful difference — not in theory, but in one real child’s life — this is it.
One consistent adult. One steady voice. One advocate.
Sometimes, that is enough to change everything.
To learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer, contact Program Director Christa Horn at 620-215-2769 or email christa@bourboncountycasa.comBottom of Form