CASA (acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocates) was founded in 1977 by a family court judge in Seattle, Washington who recognized the need for independent advocacy to address the individual needs of children in foster care. CASA has grown exponentially over the years into a network of nearly 1000 local CASA programs in 49 states. CASA for Kids, Inc. Barry and Eaton Counties was established as a nonprofit organization in Barry County in 1991 and expanded to Eaton County in 1997. CASA’s sole function is to train volunteers from the community who are willing to make a significant volunteer commitment to advocate for the best interest of children in foster care and help them achieve permanency (reunifying families whenever possible). CASA volunteers are sworn officers of the court appointed by the judge to represent and advocate for an assigned child or sibling group to ensure that they receive appropriate services and work towards a safe and caring permanent home. They are known as the eyes and ears of the court and a voice for the child.
Founded in 1994, The Dream Center is a volunteer driven organization that finds and fills the needs of over 50,000 individuals and families each month.
The Dream Center does this through mobile hunger relief and medical programs, residential rehabilitation programs for teens and adults, a shelter for victims of human trafficking, transitional housing for homeless families, foster care intervention programs, job skills training, life skills counseling, basic education, Bible studies and more. The ministry works to meet people where they are at, to bring them hope and a way off the streets.
The Dream Center also equips others to serve. The Dream Center’s record of success has attracted urban missionaries and Christian leaders from across the U.S. and the world. As they volunteer with the Dream Center, they gain insight and skills that they can take back to their own communities. In this way, more than 100 independent Dream Centers have been launched nationally, as well as internationally.
