CASA are ordinary citizens, appointed by judges to advocate for the safety and well-being of children who have been removed from their homes due to parental abuse and neglect. They stand up for these children and change their lives. CASA volunteers have helped more than two million children find safe, permanent homes. The national CASA Association is a network of 955 programs that recruit, train and support volunteers to represent the interests of abused and neglected children in courtrooms and other settings. The paper will focus on laws and barriers that may prevent families from seeking an organization like CASA. Options that can reduce those barriers, philosophy about being a human service professional working with children and families, as well as considering values, culture, and biases. First, let's examine the laws that affect CASA-related funding. According to the Advocacy Academy Handbook (2009), in the 1970s, the United States Congress realized that the child welfare system was not adequately protecting children and their families. Seventy-four Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) Public Law 93-247, amended in 1996, created the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect and appropriated federal funds for states to establish special programs for children victims of abuse or neglect. . The law requires states to have child abuse and neglect reporting laws, investigate reports of abuse and neglect, educate the public about abuse and neglect; provide a guardian ad litem to any abused or neglected child whose case results in a court proceeding (Advocacy Academy Manual, 2009). As a CASA provider, there are other federal laws that impact child abuse...... middle of paper……th. Retrieved January 17, 2008, from www.afriprov.org/http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5453887/k.7340/Organizational_Profile.htmNational Indian Child Welfare Association Retrieved July 17, 2011, from www .nicwa .orgThe Indian Child Welfare Act and CASA/GAL Volunteers: Advocating for the Best Interests of Native Children Retrieved July 17, 2011, from http://www.casanet.org/download/tribal-casa/0709_icwa_and_volunteer_0012.pdfU.S. Department of Health and Human Services Retrieved July 17, 2011, from www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/ij_adopt/support.htm.Wall, Mr Justice (1997) Strengthening Interagency Links and Keeping Children at the Center. Workshop Papers, Department of Health, London. Retrieved July 17, 2011, from http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ee2b0c8b-14c1-4277-afce-2e22cef92a4e%40sessionmgr10&vid=19&hid=119