If you are involved in an open juvenile dependency case or know someone who is and you believe a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer would be helpful, we want to hear from you!

How can CASA of Los Angeles help?

CASA of Los Angeles serves young people between the ages of 0-21 currently living in Los Angeles County and who have an open dependency case at the Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court or the Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center in Los Angeles County. Referrals for the appointment of a CASA volunteer are appropriate when any of the following apply:

The court would benefit from independent factual information in order to make a decision regarding the best interests of the child.
There are concerns about the child’s medical, educational or developmental needs being met and/or the child is in need of an educational rights holder or a developmental services decision maker. CASA volunteers may be appointed to hold education/developmental rights for the young person they’re appointed to.
There are concerns about permanency such as multiple placements, appropriateness of current placement, or lack of long-term adult connections.

The court has concerns about a child’s mental health needs being met or the psychotropic medications a child is prescribed.

A transitional age youth (aged 12-21) needs support in the pursuit of a post-secondary education or career training program or an appropriate transition plan.

Court ordered or mandated services or a child’s personal documents have not been delivered in a timely manner.

How can I get a CASA?

If you are a young person who has an open dependency case and would like a CASA volunteer appointed to you, please write us on our Contact Us page and describe how you believe a CASA volunteer could help. A member of our staff will contact you for additional information about your case. You can also tell your social worker or attorney that you would like a CASA volunteer and they may submit a referral on your behalf.

If you are a support person for a young person involved in the dependency system (a family member, caregiver, educator, mentor or other service provider), please write us on our Contact Us page and describe how you believe a CASA volunteer could help. We will review your request and, if the case appears to be a suitable case for a CASA volunteer appointment, we will submit a referral to the court on your behalf.

If you are a Los Angeles dependency attorney, county social worker, county counsel or judge and would like to refer a young person for advocacy, please download and complete a court partners referral form.  If you are submitting a referral for a non-minor dependent, please submit the additional non-minor dependent consent form here. These forms can be emailed directly to referrals@casala.org.

Referral forms are also located in each courtroom or the CASA offices and can be submitted to the judicial assistant in that courtroom for processing.

If you need additional assistance or would like the CASA office to submit a referral on your behalf, please contact us at referrals@casala.org or (323) 859-2888.

What happens after a referral is completed?

Once a referral is submitted to court, the judge on the case will decide whether or not to approve the referral. If the judge approves the referral, CASA of Los Angeles will then review the referral to determine whether it is an appropriate case for a CASA volunteer. If the referral is accepted, the child will be placed on the waitlist for a match.

Please contact us at referrals@casala.org or (323) 859-2888 with questions regarding the submission of a referral or to follow up about the status of a referral.

Main Office (Monterey Park)
CASA of Los Angeles
Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court
201 Centre Plaza Drive, Suite 1100
Monterey Park, CA 91754-2142
Phone: 323.859.2888
Fax: 323.264.5020

Antelope Valley Office
CASA of Los Angeles
Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center
1040 West Avenue J, Room 1130
Lancaster, CA 93534-3329
Phone: 661.723.CASA (2272)
Fax: 661.723.2219