Survivors Paired with Advocate
Why we track this indicator
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are adult volunteers that advocate for the best interest of ward of the state. Every CASA paired with a ward of the state is committed to helping voice the child throughout the court process.
Survivors Paired with CASA Data Breakdown
Status: Red
Definition: Averaged percent of Children in Need of Services (CHINS) cases currently opened and assigned to Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) each quarter. When a child is in the juvenile court system due to abuse or neglect, a CASA volunteer represents the best interest of the child in court hearings and many other areas of the child’s life.
Source: Child and Parent Services (CAPS)
Last Updated: July 2024
Mitigating Factors: None Reported
Methodology
Methodology: The average number of CHINS each quarter is compared to total CHINS served within that timeframe. The resulting difference is calculated as a percent difference. The collaborating partner provides a benchmark to help determine the trends for this indicator.
Goal: Is to observe in CHINS each quarter.
Traffic Light:
Green: at least 1% decrease in CHINS
Gray: within 1% compared to previous quarter
Red: at least 1% increase in CHINS
Supporting Research
Title
Child abuse and neglect are serious public health problems and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
Effects of Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Intervention on Permanency Outcomes for Wards of the State: The Case of Virginia
The Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program was created to mitigate these negative outcomes for children by providing additional advocacy on behalf of the best interest of the child.
Childhood Sexual Assault Victims: Long-Term Outcomes after Testifying in Criminal Court
We report a longitudinal study of long-term outcomes of participating in criminal cases following child sexual abuse.
Establishing CASA as an evidence-based practice
CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to serve as advocates who represent children independent of the court, the child welfare agency, and family members.
Related Indicators
Click to see more data trends related to Survivors Paired with CASA
Child and Parent Services (CAPS)
CAPS aims to support families to ensure that every child lives a life free from abuse and neglect. CAPS aspires to be a community where children are safe and families thrive.
Indicators in Action
The ‘Data Action Mini Grant’ program will provide low barrier grants to collaborating partners which will help increase cross-system collaboration and facilitate the community response to needs and/or gaps identified through the Elkhart County Child Dashboard. Applicants may request up to $2,000. Two or more applicants can collaborate for collaborative action based upon one or more data indicators and increase the grant request. By leveraging the ‘Data Action Mini Grant’ program partners can have a platform that helps to inform community goals and creates a stronger sustainability platform for their programs.
For a copy of the 1-page proposal template click here or email David Wiegner.