Our Daily Show! Interview: CASA of Southwestern Illinois
BELLEVILLE – Community members who want to make a difference in a child’s life have the opportunity to train to become a Court-Appointed Special Advocate.
Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers work with kids who have experienced neglect or abuse and who are typically in the foster care system. These volunteers spend five hours a month visiting with their assigned child and writing court reports. The judge then uses this information to make decisions in the best interest of the child.
“You become the eyes and the ears specifically for the judge,” explained spokesperson Lynda Elizabeth. “There are children that are going through such a rough time, and they’re involved with the judicial system and juvenile courts. That can really be an intimidating time for any child. So the volunteer is there to step in, check in with them about once a week, and see what they need, and then go write a report about what’s been going on and give that to the judge so the judge knows what to do to make a decision in that child’s best interest.”
CASA of Southwestern Illinois, where Lynda Elizabeth works, is headquartered in Belleville but serves St. Clair, Madison, Bond, Monroe and Randolph counties. There are roughly 900 kids who need help, and CASA needs 40 new volunteers every month to keep up with the demand.
CASA will offer an in-person training from May 11 to May 15, 2026, at their Belleville office. Lynda Elizabeth explained that anyone can volunteer; you just have to be over 21 years old with a clean background check. No legal expertise is required.
The training will go over how to write court reports and how to engage with your assigned child. There are also volunteer coordinators who can offer advice and help through any situation that arises.
CASA volunteers typically spend one hour a week with their child, playing games or coloring and chatting. Volunteers make sure the child has everything they need to thrive.
The volunteer often serves as a consistent presence in the child’s life during a time of instability. They are asked to stick with the child for the duration of the court case.
“When I talk to the volunteers, they really love what they do. They said, ‘I’ll go to see the kid that I’m assigned to and they’re just so happy and smiling when they see their volunteer.’ That’s such a beautiful thing to me,” Lynda Elizabeth said. “When a child is struggling, they need someone there. Just being there, a consistent, stable presence in their life, that does so much. It helps so much.”
Because volunteering only takes five hours a month and volunteers can make their own schedules, Lynda Elizabeth noted that it’s very flexible and even people with full-time jobs can be a part of the CASA mission.
She also emphasized that volunteers have help through the process. The volunteer coordinators and other volunteers are always there to answer questions, and the training itself is a comprehensive look at what volunteers do. For more information about what it’s like to be a volunteer, read this article.
Lynda Elizabeth hopes more people step up to become volunteers. She pointed out that there are many kids who could use support, and this is a real way to help them.
“[It’s about] just being there for them, just someone there that they can talk to or turn to for support. I’ve never met a volunteer who wasn’t kind or compassionate or just really cared about children,” she added. “It’s really a beautiful experience to be able to help kids.”
For more information about CASA of Southwestern Illinois, including how to volunteer and sign up for next week’s training, visit their official website.
