CASA Kane County University

Advocacy - People - Processes - Technology - Finance

CASA U is the learning center for our organization offering education, resources and development to our CASA/GAL volunteers, staff and Board leadership.  We are dedicated to being the nonprofit child advocacy organization that supports growth towards lifelong learning.  The CASA family has an opportunity to build upon current knowledge, contribute to learning new skills and strengthening present abilities to better understand roles and expectations.  The  comprehensive colleges include continuing education, volunteer and employee on-boarding, regulations and compliance, leadership development, resources, training and more.

Our education is available through various modules, such as classroom, online, webinars, small group and strategic outreach gatherings that will meet the adult learner’s different styles.  Our team of professionals will work alongside you to explore various development offerings so you can learn more about CASA Kane County’s mission, vision and philosophy along with the child welfare and compliance needs to advocate for the best interests of our youth.

Thank you for choosing CASA Kane County, as we know there are many wonderful nonprofit organizations in our community and we are grateful you are choosing to be the difference maker for our youth and community!

What We Do

We recruit, train, and supervise community volunteers who serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL) for children who are in court due to abuse, neglect or private guardianship.

Who CASA U Benefits

CASA University benefits a host of users including: CASA/GAL Volunteers, Staff, Chairman Advisory Panel (CAP) and our Board of Directors.

Core Values

MISSION: CASA Kane County is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children within the Juvenile Court system.

VISION: We believe that every child has the right to a safe, nurturing and permanent home, and deserves the support and involvement of their community to make this all possible.

VALUES: Well-chosen values serve as meaningful guidelines for every program or activity, regardless of whether the stakeholders are volunteers, staff, advising boards or others.

PHILOSOPHY: CASA Kane County is a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that advocates for abused and neglected children within the juvenile court system. Our highly trained volunteers are appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of children in the abuse and neglect court as well as probate court. Our obligation is to ensure that the children we represent will be visited at least monthly, and that their needs, desires and circumstances will be reported to the court at every scheduled hearing. The court appointed special advocate/guardian ad litem (CASA/GAL) will be the consistent person in the child’s life.

OUR COLLEGES

Optima Case Management

Our case management system begins and ends with Optima, a comprehensive online database used by staff and volunteers. Optima allows all case related information to be securely and confidentially kept in one place, and can be accessed by all approved parties.

Continuing Education

As a CASA/GAL Volunteer, you are required to receive 12-20 continuing education credits. To meet  your needs from a CASA to CASA – Case to Case and Child to Child learning, we are bringing the educational tools to your fingertips with CORE, Elective and Compliance learning both live and online.

Compliance & Education

Our core compliance and educational values are to provide consistency through best practices and clear expectations for our local, state and national organizations.  Discover the wide variety of education for CASA/GAL Volunteers, Board of Directors and Staff.

Agency Contacts

Contact information for all DCFS, Private Agencies and other partnered child welfare organizations brought to your fingertips for easy access.

Service & Youth Essential Resources

Going over and beyond to help bridge the needed resources in healthcare, education and transportation. With this additional support we hope to provide more to better meet our children’s needs.

Courts

Access additional information to better understand the laws and court processes that shape CASA Kane County’s role in the courtroom. Learn more about the responsibilities of the different parties we work with in the courtroom and how to contact them.

Diversity & Inclusion

Our program is dedicated and committed to establishing interpersonal strategies to promote a culturally diverse environment inclusive of ALL people who embrace our mission.

CASA/GAL Volunteer Training

Our CASA/GAL Volunteer training has been precisely designed to prepare and equip new volunteers, specifically in the Kane County region to advocate for abused and neglected children. The training is comprised of an eight-week, 50 hour comprehensive training that offers instruction and learning in a variety of topics that all relate to the Child Welfare system.

Documents, Forms & Commonly Asked Questions

Whether you are looking for answers to commonly asked questions, educational documents to supplement your learning or forms you can use in the course of your role as CASA/GAL volunteer, we have organized them all in one place for your convenience.