CASA of Harford County seeks volunteers to give children in foster care a consistent advocate

CASA of Harford County is recruiting volunteers to serve as court‑appointed special advocates who provide one‑on‑one advocacy for children in foster care across the county.

“Our mission is to serve every child that we can with an individual advocate,” said Rosty Eduardo, executive director of CASA of Harford County, who said he will mark about 20 years with the organization. Eduardo told Harford Magazine that volunteers are matched to a single child or sibling group and bring a stable, consistent adult presence to cases otherwise handled by overburdened professionals.

The organization is asking community members, businesses and faith groups to help by promoting volunteer recruitment, donating or making workplace accommodations for volunteers who must attend court. Eduardo said funding cuts and a lack of preventative services are the biggest challenges facing families, adding that more community involvement can expand supports that might keep children at home.

Lisa Peters, CASA’s program coordinator, described the volunteer’s duties: volunteers meet with the child and relevant parties—caseworkers, teachers, caregivers—then prepare reports and make independent recommendations the court can use. Volunteers are assigned to a single case so they can build relationships and track needs that busy caseworkers and attorneys may not have time to follow closely.

The onboarding process is straightforward, Eduardo said: an online application triggers contact from a recruitment coordinator, applicants have an interview, complete training (the organization runs training two to three times a year that is primarily virtual with one in‑person session), pass a background check and are sworn in by the court before being matched to a child.

Scott Bradley, an advocate supervisor who works with teens, said the biggest barrier for teenagers is “the constant change of people in their life”—frequent turnover in social workers, attorneys and placements that can deepen trauma. He and other staff described one concrete role volunteers play: teaching independent living skills such as budgeting, basic household management and job readiness as youth approach adulthood.

Volunteers also have a courtroom role. “Many people don't understand that CASA volunteers are actually appointed by judges,” volunteer Diane Pearson said, adding that magistrates read volunteer reports and may ask the CASA volunteer for observations during hearings.

Volunteer Eric Mitch described the relational work his role involves—small outings, consistent visits and building trust so a young person feels they can tell the truth. Eduardo and volunteers emphasized that prior professional experience with children is not required; the program looks for compassion, reliability and a willingness to commit time.

CASA of Harford County covers children from birth through age 21, and Eduardo said the program seeks to expand its volunteer base to better serve the “hundreds of children in foster care” in the county. Those interested in volunteering are invited to contact CASA of Harford County through its official channels to begin the application process.

The Harford Magazine interview concluded with a reminder that CASA is looking for volunteers and community partners to support children in foster care.