How does a CASA volunteer differ from a DCP&P caseworker?
Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) caseworkers work on numerous cases at a time and are responsible for the entire family. DCP&P is also structured so that several different DCP&P case workers frequently will work on a case while it is open in litigation. CASA advocates only handle one or two cases at a time so the CASA has the time to thoroughly explore the history of each child and work in depth with that child and family. No state agency could ever afford to provide the kind of one-on-one assistance that CASA can to the children and families that we are appointed to. Moreover, unlike other court parties and social works that frequently rotate cases, the CASA volunteer is a consistent figure in the proceedings and provides continuity for the child and families that they work with.
