The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary congratulates the newly trained Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) who were sworn in as officers of the court by the Honorable Natasha R. Shaw on July 19, 2024, at the Ronald T.Y. Moon Judiciary Complex. The new CASAs are now ready to advocate for children in the First Circuit (Oʻahu).

The CASA Program (formerly known as the Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem Program) empowers everyday citizens to serve as the “eyes and ears” of the court, in order to help provide accurate and objective information so that decisions in family court cases can be made in the best interest of the child.

In an overburdened social welfare system, abused and neglected children often slip through the cracks among hundreds of current cases. CASA volunteers change that.

After successful completion of an intensive 40-hour training and criminal background checks, CASA volunteers are appointed by family court judges to represent and advocate for a child both in and out of court. CASAs typically handle one case at a time and commit to staying on that case until the child is placed in a safe, permanent home.

For more information on becoming a CASA volunteer, see:

https://casahawaii.org

Or call:

• Oʻahu: 808-954-8124
• Maui, Moloka‘i, Lānaʻi: 808-244-2729
• Kauaʻi: 808-482-2570
• Hawaiʻi Island (Hilo): 808-961-7672
• Hawaiʻi Island (Kona): 808-443-2105

CASA volunteers must be at least 21 years old and able to spend between four and 15 hours a month serving as fact-finders, advocates, and monitors for children in need. The Judiciary provides free training and staff support for all volunteers.