About Douglas County CASA
Empowering volunteer advocates for children in Douglas County, KSÂ
Our Mission
Our mission is to recruit, train, and support volunteers to advocate for children under the protection of the court who have experienced abuse and neglect with the goal of strengthening families in Douglas County, Kansas.
Every year in Douglas County, Kansas, more than 140 children ages 0-18 are removed from their homes and placed under court protection for their own safety. Some of these children are victims of violence, psychological trauma, and sexual abuse. Others have been neglected or abandoned. They are confused, frightened, and uncertain about their future. Many are placed in foster care.
Douglas County CASA is dedicated to making sure these children get the attention they deserve. With the help of specially trained volunteers—Court Appointed Special Advocates—we advocate for the best interests of these vulnerable children. Douglas County CASA helps children find safe, permanent, and loving homes.
OUR VISION
All children in Douglas County, Kansas thrive in safe, nurturing, and permanent homes.
Our Values
At Douglas County CASA, our values guide everything we do. They shape how we serve children and families, how we work with our partners, and how we hold ourselves accountable to the community. The principles below reflect our commitment to fostering safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments:
Safety
We believe children and their families should be free from fear and secure from physical or psychological harm within their social, physical, and work environments.
Stability
We believe children and their families should experience a high level of predictability and consistency in their relationships as well as their social, emotional, and physical environments.
Nurturing Relationships & Environments
We believe children and families should have access to individuals who sensitively and consistently respond to and meet their needs with love and compassion. We strive to support the physical and mental health of the children and families in our care through advocacy and collaboration with community partners.
Hope
We provide services and interact with others to teach and model a vision for a positive future.
Integrity
We are committed to being responsive, respectful, honest, ethical, authentic, and humane.
Stewardship
We believe that we are not only stewards of funds provided to support our work, but also stewards of the cases and trauma history of those we serve. We strive to do what is best for the children we serve as well as their families and endeavor to continue to earn the trust bestowed upon us. We value expressing gratitude to those who trust us.
Leadership
We strive to engage ourselves and others in meaningful activity to make progress on challenges that impact the children we serve, their families, and our community.
Collaboration
We collaborate with children, their families, the court, child welfare professionals, and other interested parties to carry out our mission effectively and creatively.
Adaptability
We support a culture that encourages everyone to seek opportunities, embrace challenges, learn, and accept change to improve our thinking, behavior, and work supporting children who have experienced abuse and neglect in a constantly changing environment.
Diversity & Justice
We respect and celebrate diversity and strive to be inclusive and welcoming in all aspects of our work. We believe we have an obligation to work toward justice for children, particularly those who have been marginalized or victimized by systems and institutions due to race, class, sexuality, gender identity, and other minority characteristics.
Service
We believe that each employee and volunteer has an integral role to play in delivering excellent service to children and their families.
Quality
We pursue excellence in our work and strive for continuous improvement.
Meet the Douglas County CASA Team
Get to know the people who make this work possible. Click below to meet CASA staff and board of directors.Â
Making a Difference in Douglas County
Since our founding, Douglas County CASA has served hundreds of children throughout our community, providing them with dedicated advocates who speak up for their best interests in court proceedings. Our volunteers have helped children find permanent homes, access necessary services, and navigate the complex child welfare system with a caring adult by their side.
In 2024 alone, our volunteers advocated for 113 children, helping them achieve stability and permanency. Each volunteer is thoroughly trained and continuously supported by our professional staff, ensuring that every child receives high-quality advocacy throughout their case.
our impact
By the Numbers
90
year to date
55
Volunteers actively advocating
217
Child visits with CASA Volunteers
1,111
Hours of CASA volunteer advocacy
Ready to Make a Difference?
Whether you’re interested in becoming a volunteer advocate, supporting our mission through donations, or learning more about our work, we invite you to join our community of child advocates.