The McKinney-based nonprofit organization trains volunteer advocates to promote and protect the best interest of children who have experienced abuse, neglect or abandonment, said Tricia Clifton, CEO and president of CASA of Collin County.
“Abuse is a bipartisan issue,” Clifton said. “It does not know the difference between poor, affluent. It doesn't know nationalities. There is no bias with abuse.”
The specifics
CASA of Collin County aims to help children by training volunteer court-appointed special advocates to act as both a voice for the child during legal proceedings. The volunteer advocates often also act as a constant in the child’s life during their time in the foster care system, Clifton said.
“At no fault of their own, these children are removed from what they once knew as home, and they're thrust into this new environment, legal world that they know nothing about,” Clifton said. “What we aim to do is ... make sure they don't fall through the cracks of an already completely overburdened child welfare system.”
CASA of Collin County has between 200-250 volunteers at any given time, which helps ensure that any child that is placed into foster care is able to have a volunteer advocate. In 2024, every child assigned to CASA of Collin County was able to be paired with an advocate.
“We never want to be in a position where we have to pick and choose cases or say ‘No’ to someone, because we believe that all children deserve an advocate by their side,” Clifton said.
Diving in deeper
The organization continuously trains new volunteer advocates through an intensive multi-step process that includes an orientation followed by an application, interview and background check. Volunteers also completed 38 hours of in-classroom learning prior to being assigned as a volunteer advocate.
The training process looks to ensure that volunteers are the right fit for the role, Clifton said, noting that volunteers are supported by volunteer coordinators on staff during their time as an advocate.
In 2024, over 12,400 hours of volunteer service was completed by CASA of Collin County volunteers. Those volunteers also traveled nearly 154,000 miles to complete volunteer work, including visiting children placed in foster care in other counties and at times, other states, Clifton said.
“Our volunteers still serve those children and go see them wherever they are, and so it's just an amazing testament to how committed our volunteers are,” Clifton said.
CASA of Collin County has a 15-person staff, which is determined by the organization’s caseload and funding. In addition to funding from the national CASA organization, the nonprofit is funded by individual donors, corporate sponsors, city grants and proceeds from fundraising events, Clifton said.
Zooming out
The idea for the CASA program originated from a judge in Seattle, Clifton said. Juvenile court judge David W. Soukup came up with the idea in 1976 when he was tasked with making a “life-changing decision” for a 3-year-old girl but felt he had insufficient information, according to the national CASA organization’s website, resulting in the idea of a program to train community volunteers to advocate for children in those situations.
There are 75 CASA programs throughout Texas, Clifton said, noting that some organizations serve multiple counties while other counties don’t have a CASA organization. CASA of Collin County serves over 30 cities, and has served over 12,000 children since it was created in 1991, according to its website.
Also of note
Following changes in the operations of Child Protective Services in Texas, child welfare collective Empower began managing child placement services in nine North Texas counties in late 2023, including Collin County. Clifton said as the transition to the new provider caused delays in access to services, CASA of Collin County worked to provide consistency for children and families.
“We made sure that those kids even more so didn't fall through the cracks, because the cracks were no longer cracks, they were craters,” Clifton said.
The impact
As a former foster child herself, Clifton said the organization plays a key role in providing consistency and normalcy for children in the foster care system.
“My life was completely changed forever when I was adopted,” Clifton said. “If I can be any part of these children's stories to help them become who they're supposed to be and make sure that they are no longer victims [and be] victors, then that's what I'm here for.”
Get involved
Organization representatives host regular informational meetings for community members looking to serve as a volunteer advocate. For information on upcoming informational sessions and the process to become a court appointed special advocate, visit www.casaofcollincounty.org/volunteer.
Other opportunities to support CASA of Collin County include volunteering to assist with the organization’s fundraising events, contributing to holiday toy drives and supply drives, and monetary donations. For more information, visit www.casaofcollincounty.org/ways-to-give.
- 101 Davis St., McKinney
- www.casaofcollincounty.org
