Editor’s Note: For over 30 years, court-appointed special advocates (CASAs) and guardians of ad litems (GALs) have played a crucial role in protecting children. They do this by ensuring kids at the center of custody battles or victims of child abuse have a voice in the court proceedings that decide their future. Despite its proven effectiveness, the U.S. Department of Justice terminated funding for the National CASA/GAL program this month (April 2025). This loss of federal funding will have a devastating and far-reaching impact on hundreds of thousands of kids nationwide and the volunteers serving them. In this article, you will hear from these tireless volunteers and child advocates. We at Seattle’s Child urge you to take action to protect vulnerable children: contact your members of Congress and urge them to demand funding reinstatement for the National CASA/GAL program.
Bill McJannet has been a volunteer Dependency Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for nine years. In this role, McJannet is a voice for children during contentious divorce or other proceedings where the questions of where and with whom a child should live are contested by one parent or guardian.
We asked McJannet to share his experiences and insights on the CASA’s work with kids in such cases, including interviews with the many people who touch their lives. It is through getting to know children and the adults in their lives that CASAs like McJannet made recommendations to the court regarding what would be “in the best interests” of the child. The following is the transcript of an email interview with McJannet.
Seattle’s Child: Were you doing related work before you retired?
Bill McJannet: I worked in the trucking industry, managing a truck rental and leasing company. So, I have zero experience with Child Protective Services, DCYF, or the court system. However, some life experiences attracted me to this work and gave me some useful knowledge. I was the second oldest of 11 kids in my family. Growing up around so many children makes it easier to relate to the kids we work with.
The other experience is that my folks took in foster children occasionally (perhaps 3 or 4 times). What drove that was having an aunt who was a social worker. She would occasionally call my parents and ask them to help care for a child who was in need. Two of those children were with our family for about a year.
Can you describe a few of the types of situations you’ve dealt with?
Often, a CASA is a key element in helping the child get what they need. The big advantage a CASA has is that we have a limited number of cases and can devote more time and attention to each child. Almost all social workers I’ve met are dedicated, caring people, but their large caseload doesn’t allow them to spend the time a CASA can.
One typical example is when there is a potential change in the child’s placement. Changing the child’s home is an impactful decision, and the time we can spend talking to all the parties involved, as well as the child (if they are old enough to communicate), can be very helpful to the court in discerning what is best.
In one case, we recognized an untenable situation in a placement and made a motion as a CASA to change placements, which the court agreed to. In other cases, I offered my informed opinion on a placement change. When changes are made, a CASA can help ease the transition by spending more time with the child and communicating with the new caregiver.
Some recommended activities also help the child wrap their mind around the change. As a CASA, I can ensure these activities are getting done.
[The Toughest Job: Speaking for children in court]
What are examples of discovering a need not being met?
There have been multiple instances where, as a CASA, I am the one pushing for medical, developmental, or mental health care for children. The time spent talking with school teachers and counselors, daycare providers, parents, grandparents, foster parents, etcetera, as well as the time spent carefully going over the documents in discovery, occasionally means that the CASA will be the first to realize there is a need that is not being addressed; For example, recognizing the need for speech therapy and advocating for it.
One child had a needed referral for a mental health counselor, but the foster parent was not taking it seriously and delayed starting the service. As a CASA, I was to be the squeaky wheel and keep pushing to get it done.
In another case, there was a child whose parent was deaf. The parent communicated through sign language, but there were questions about how well the child knew sign language. The child was in a foster home with speaking caregivers, and the family did a twice-weekly online signing class. The deaf parent strongly felt the child needed more in-depth training and wanted the foster parents to learn and use signing at home to strengthen the skill.
My ability to get to know the biological parent, observe visits, and relate to the court how well the parent and child communicated in real-life situations was decisive in helping the court decide what was needed.
What are some of the most rewarding things about being a CASA?
The kids, for sure, getting to know them, spending anywhere from a few months to a few years with them, watching them grow and develop. The monthly visits with the kids are the best part.
The satisfaction of a good final placement for the kids. The golden ring for me is if the family can be reunited. Sadly, that’s not always the best outcome for the kids and is not always what I advocate for.
It was surprising to me how, no matter how imperfect the home situation was, most children want to be reunited with their folks. During the case, I advocate for anything that helps the parents put the issue that brought the case to dependency behind them. If reunification is not in the child’s best interests, I advocate for what I think is the best placement.
In 12 of 13 cases I’ve seen through to completion, the children ended up in the best possible placement. Overall, 47% of my cases ended in a return home, 31% were adopted, and 22% were relative placements.
The CASA staff’s knowledge, experience, and dedication increase one’s faith in humanity. We signed up for a volunteer position requiring us to do much independently. I literally could not do it without the incredible, supportive CASA staff.
The training we get. I know so much more now about child development and what they need to grow and thrive, I feel I should apologize to my adult kids for all that I didn’t know. The ongoing training is quite varied and always useful.
[Volunteering with CASA: Become a voice for kids]
What are the most difficult things?
Getting used to the slow speed of the dependency system. Slow and deliberate is good, given the enormity of what is being decided. It can be frustrating, though.
Things are not going as expected. You know how when you travel overseas and you almost expect some things to go south on you? Same thing here. We are encountering a family that may be going through the worst crisis of their life. We can’t expect them to perform perfectly in the midst of all that. Meetings get changed at the last minute, visits are sometimes hard to arrange and then don’t happen once you get there; things like that.
When a case ends, we, as CASAs, fade away from the children’s life. You feel the loss if you’ve built a relationship with the caregivers and the kids over a few years.
What makes a good candidate for a CASA volunteer?
Liking kids and having that desire to see them thrive. And a few other things:
- Being comfortable talking with people. The main way we investigate and learn is by talking to people. You speak with a wide variety of people, everyone you know who touches that child’s life.
- Having some empathy. Some folks we work with are going through issues that seem as big as Mt. Rainier. Ultimately, the issues need resolution, but we should not expect them to happen quickly or without reversals.
- Being inquisitive. Being inquisitive helps you search for information and not jump to a conclusion before you have all the information you can get. Sometimes, my first impression is proven wrong as I learn more about the situation.
- Being good at long-term relationships will serve you well. It’s common for cases to go for 2+ years; my longest was 5 years.
SC: If people tell you they’re interested in becoming a CASA, what do you say to them?
McJannet: I’d tell them that while it may be one of the more challenging volunteer opportunities, due to the training and the depth and breadth of the work it entails, I find that it is a very engaging experience on a personal level and very impactful for the children and the families that we work with.
I’ve never regretted becoming a CASA.
