A CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) is a trained community member who is appointed by the Juvenile Court Judge to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children who are brought before the court.

The volunteer has three main roles:
- To serve as fact finder for the judge (by handling only one or two cases, the volunteer has time to thoroughly explore the history of each case)
- To speak for the child in the courtroom, advocating for the child's best interest
- To act as a "watchdog" for the child during the life of the case, ensuring that the case is brought to a swift and appropriate conclusion.