Mission Statement
The mission of CASA of Hidalgo County Inc. is to speak for the best interests of the children in the courts by promoting and supporting quality volunteer representation to provide each child a safe, permanent, nurturing home.
Vision
A safe, permanent, loving home for every child.
History
CASA of Hidalgo County is part of a national volunteer movement that began in 1977 when Judge David Soukup in Seattle decided he needed to know more about the children whose lives were in his hands. His solution was to ask community volunteers to act as a “voice in court” for abused and neglected children. These Court Appointed Special Advocate® (CASAs) provided him with the detailed information he needed to safeguard the children’s best interests and ensure that they were placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. The program was so successful that it was copied around the nation.
TODAY
In 1994, CASA of Hidalgo County, Inc. was created by a group of concerned citizens to serve abused and neglected children in the county with trained community volunteers. Today, CASA of Hidalgo County is led by eleven board of directors and a staff of six, including: an executive director, three case managers, one volunteer coordinator, and one administrative assistant. In 2016, CASA of Hidalgo County served 321 children with 67 volunteers.
It is the goal of CASA of Hidalgo County, Inc. to ensure that every child in the county who needs a child advocate, has one. CASA Volunteers make positive impressions on the lives of abused and neglected children, and positively impact the judicial and child welfare systems.
CASA of Hidalgo County is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, member of the National and Texas CASA Associations. There are more than 1,000 CASA programs nationwide and 71 CASA programs in the state of Texas.