RIVERSIDE COUNTY – According to the latest data from Voices for Children, 187 local children in foster care are waiting to be matched with a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer. Voices for Children, the nonprofit organization that trains and provides qualified CASAs for youth in foster care in Riverside County, has issued an urgent call ahead of National Volunteer Month in April for local CASA volunteers to step up and speak up for these children on the waitlist, as part of its “Your Voice, Their Future” campaign. Right now, the organization particularly needs male volunteers, and volunteers who are bilingual in English and Spanish.
“CASAs are often the only consistent adult in the life of a child in foster care, and they are the ones making sure nothing falls through the cracks,” said Sharon Morris, Voices for Children’s Riverside County Managing Director. “Our CASA volunteers are kind, compassionate, everyday people who make an incredible difference in the life of a child just by showing up as they are. We urge anyone who wants to give back to their community to learn more about becoming a CASA.”
Children in foster care may have faced intense, physical, psychological, and/or emotional trauma before being removed from their homes, only to now face long periods of uncertainty, often going through multiple foster home placements until their case is resolved. While social workers, attorneys, and judges strive to make the best decisions for children’s well-being while they are in foster care, their heavy caseloads often limit the time they can devote to each case. A social worker may juggle a caseload of 25–35 families, a lawyer may support 100–150 children, and judges often oversee 500–700 cases.
CASAs, however, step in to provide stability for these children. CASA volunteers are specially trained and appointed by judges to advocate for children or sibling groups while they are in the foster care system. Importantly, CASA volunteers devote their attention to one child or a sibling group at a time, advocating for them in court reports to ensure that any legal decisions meet the child’s needs. They also advocate for children in school and other settings, and get to know everyone involved in the children’s lives, including their parents, foster parents, teachers, doctors, family members, and others.
Sun City resident Ron Salary, Voices for Children’s 2025 CASA of the Year in Riverside County, is a shining example of the impact a CASA volunteer can have on the life of a child in foster care. In late April 2023, Ron accepted the life-changing case of a 15-year-old boy who had experienced the passing of his adoptive father, leaving him without a stable home or guardian. He was moved around between relatives for some time, but experienced abuse and neglect in these homes on top of grieving his father.
Ron immediately began to build rapport with the boy, visiting him at least twice a month, and recognized that he had significant potential. He focused on identifying his strengths and finding ways to help him experience joy and develop lifelong skills. Ron writes detailed court reports and advocates before the judge on behalf of his youth, so he can have everything he needs to succeed–whether it’s funding for his activities, a math tutor, driving lessons, or a bike to help him get home quickly after events. He has even stepped up to help his case youth organize everything he needs to obtain his driver’s license.
Voices for Children aims to provide a CASA to every abused, abandoned, or neglected child who needs one. Since 2015, Voices for Children has served thousands of children in foster care in Riverside County with CASAs. Right now, the organization urgently needs more volunteers like Ron, particularly male CASAs and volunteers who are bilingual in English and Spanish.
To learn more about the valuable work of CASA volunteers and how you can get involved, please visit speakupnow.org.
To find the next CASA volunteer information session near you, visit https://www.speakupnow.org/volunteer/volunteer-information-session and select “Riverside County.”
