What is CASA and how does it help children in foster care?

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. Trained volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children navigating the foster care and court systems. CASA volunteers provide consistent, caring adult presence and ensure children's voices are heard in legal proceedings.

How does CASA sustain its operations and funding?

CASA sustains its mission through a combination of community volunteerism, private donations, corporate partnerships, and government grants. Chapters work to cultivate long-term relationships with local funders and community stakeholders. Strategic organizational vision helps local chapters balance service delivery with financial sustainability.

Why is volunteerism so critical to child advocacy organizations like CASA?

Volunteers are the backbone of CASA's model, providing the human capital that would be impossible to fully replace with paid staff at scale. Each volunteer can give a child in foster care consistent adult attention and advocacy that significantly improves outcomes. Without sustained volunteer recruitment and retention, the reach and effectiveness of child advocacy organizations would be severely limited.

Child Advocacy in Action: How CASA Sustains...

Child Advocacy in Action: How CASA Sustains Impact Through Volunteerism and Vision

This article examines how CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) sustains its child advocacy mission for the approximately 390,000 children in U.S. foster care through volunteerism, strategic partnerships, and consistent funding. It explores the dual challenge nonprofit organizations face in addressing children's emotional needs while maintaining the operational infrastructure required for long-term impact. The piece highlights the organizational vision and community-driven model that keeps child welfare advocacy viable.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Professional AV teams put it to work with Customer Stories & Case Studies.

Promoted content from Professional Quotient on MarketScale.

By Jason Winningham · October 7, 2025, 11:00 AM UTCCasaChild AdvocacyFoster CareMental Health Support

Key takeaways

Approximately 390,000 children in the U.S. are in foster care and require advocacy support through complex court and welfare systems.

CASA relies on trained community volunteers appointed by judges to represent children's best interests in court.

Sustaining nonprofit impact requires balancing direct service delivery with ongoing fundraising, partnerships, and organizational vision.

Across the United States, roughly 390,000 children are living in foster care, each facing the challenges of navigating the child welfare and court systems. Nonprofits working in this space carry the dual responsibility of supporting children’s emotional needs while also sustaining the funding and partnerships that make child advocacy possible.

This raises a pressing question: how can organizations like CASA provide consistent, child-centered advocacy while building the resilience and resources to keep that work going?

In this episode of the Professional Quotient, host Jason Winningham sits down with Abi Muehlbrad, Development Director at Golden Crescent CASA, to explore the impact of community-rooted advocacy. Abi shares her professional journey through the nonprofit sector, discussing the power of volunteerism, mental health support, and standing in the gap for children navigating the child welfare system.

Abi further explains how CASA volunteers serve as Court-Appointed Special Advocates, revealing the emotional depth and practical resilience required to do this kind of child advocacy work. work. Her role behind the scenes—securing funding, championing community partnerships, and nurturing the vision—is a masterclass in building and activating professional equity.

This conversation shines a light on:

– What “neutral advocacy” means in child welfare.

– The emotional toll (and rewards) of nonprofit service.

– How community and funding intersect to make advocacy possible.

Abi Muehlbrad is an accomplished nonprofit leader with over a decade of experience specializing in grant writing, fundraising, program coordination, and case management. She has a proven record of advancing mission-driven initiatives, from founding a campus composting program to rebuilding nonprofit programs from the ground up. Currently serving as Development Director at Golden Crescent CASA, Abi is recognized for her strategic mindset, detail-oriented approach, and ability to drive organizational growth and impact.

Whether you’re in nonprofit leadership or simply searching for a meaningful way to serve your community, this episode will inspire you to reflect on how you show up and build trust with others—especially those who need it most.