Become a CASA Volunteer in Riverside County
Right now, thousands of children in Riverside County are navigating the foster care system without a consistent adult in their corner. A Court Appointed Special Advocate, a CASA volunteer, changes that. If you live in Riverside County or anywhere in the surrounding communities and you’ve been wondering what it actually takes to become a CASA volunteer, you’re in the right place. This page answers every question, from eligibility and training to time commitment and support, so you can decide with confidence and take the next step.
Ready to make a difference? Sign up for an Information Session today.
What Is a CASA Volunteer?
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. As a CASA volunteer, you are appointed by a juvenile court judge to advocate for the best interests of a child in the foster care system. You are not a social worker, a lawyer, or a foster parent, you are something different and often more lasting: a reliable, caring adult who gets to know a child deeply and speaks up for them in court.
Your role is to gather information about a child’s life, from their school, their caregivers, their healthcare providers, and present an independent recommendation to the judge on what would best serve that child’s safety, stability, and long-term wellbeing. Because you are focused on one child at a time, you often develop a fuller picture than any single professional in the case.
Why Riverside County Needs You Right Now
As the second-largest county in California, Riverside County has a significant need for CASA volunteers throughout the region. Nearly 6,000 children will touch the Riverside County foster care system each year. Many of them will move through the system without anyone who is solely focused on their needs.
Voices for Children launched its Riverside County program in June 2015 and has grown steadily since, establishing offices in Riverside, Temecula, and Palm Desert to better serve families across the entire county. Despite that growth, there are still far more children who need advocates than there are volunteers to serve them.
To truly support every child, we need a volunteer base that reflects the entire community. We are looking for everyday community members from all walks of life, all backgrounds, and all life experiences.
In particular, there is a critical need for more male CASA volunteers. Many young boys in the foster care system lack a positive, consistent male role model in their lives. Having a male advocate can provide these boys with a unique sense of stability and support as they navigate a complex system.
Who Can Become a CASA Volunteer
Voices for Children is looking for everyday community members who are committed, compassionate, and ready to show up consistently for a child in need.
Basic eligibility requirements include:
- Must be at least 21 years old
- Must pass a background check
- Must commit to a minimum of one year of service on a case
- Must complete the full 35-hour Advocate University training program
- Must be willing to advocate for youth in court and meet with them in person once a month
No prior legal, social work, or child welfare experience required. CASA volunteers come from every walk of life: working professionals, retirees, stay-at-home parents, students, teachers, veterans, and business owners. What they share is a willingness to be present and to advocate with persistence and care.
Meet a Riverside County CASA Volunteer
Questions about applying?
If you have any questions about how you can volunteer and make a transformative difference in a child’s life, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We are so grateful for your interest, and our team is happy to help.
Brianna Miller
CASA Recruitment and Outreach Manager
951-472-9300
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need legal or social work experience to become a CASA volunteer?
No experience in law or child welfare is required. Voices for Children’s 35-hour Advocate University training prepares you for everything you’ll encounter. What matters most is your reliability, your empathy, and your commitment to showing up consistently for a child who needs you.
How much time will I need to commit each month?
Most CASA volunteers dedicate 10 hours per month to their case. This includes visits with the child, coordination with caregivers and service providers, and court-related preparation. Training sessions for new volunteers are offered in the evenings and on weekends so the program is accessible to working adults.
Can I become a CASA volunteer if I work full time?
Absolutely. Many Voices for Children volunteers hold full-time jobs. The program is specifically designed to be compatible with a working schedule, Advocate University training is offered in evenings and on weekends, and most case activities can be arranged around your availability with advance planning.
What happens after I submit my application?
After you apply, a Voices for Children team member will contact you to schedule an interview. From there, you’ll complete a background check and then begin the 35-hour Advocate University training program. Once training is complete and your background check is cleared, you’ll be sworn in by a juvenile court judge and matched with a child. The full timeline from application to first case typically spans a few months.
For more answers, visit the complete Voices for Children FAQ page.
What Training Looks Like — Advocate University
Advocate University is Voices for Children’s training program for all incoming CASA volunteers. The full curriculum runs 35 hours and covers everything you need to understand the foster care system, your legal role as an advocate, and how to build effective relationships with children, caregivers, and professionals.
What you’ll learn in Advocate University:
- How the Riverside County juvenile court system works
- Your rights and responsibilities as a court-appointed advocate
- Child development and trauma-informed communication
- How to gather information and write a court report
- How to navigate the child welfare, education, and mental health systems
- Cultural competency and working with diverse families
Training sessions are offered in the evenings and on weekends so that volunteers with full-time jobs and family commitments can complete the program. You don’t need to take time off work to become a CASA volunteer.
Wondering how volunteers balance their schedules? Read Being a CASA While Working Full Time for practical insight.
Ready to make a difference? Start your application today.
What Ongoing Support Looks Like — Your Advocacy Supervisor
You will never navigate a case alone. Every CASA volunteer is paired with an Advocacy Supervisor, a dedicated Voices for Children staff member who provides regular guidance, feedback, and support throughout your service.
Your Advocacy Supervisor will:
- Check in with you regularly throughout your case
- Help you prepare your court reports and court appearances
- Answer questions about the system, your role, and challenging situations
- Connect you with additional resources and training opportunities
- Provide a stable point of contact as your case evolves
This structure means that even if you’ve never interacted with the foster care system before, you have an experienced professional in your corner every step of the way. The Advocacy Supervisor relationship is one of the most valued parts of the CASA experience, according to volunteers across the Riverside County program.
Get a realistic picture of what active advocacy looks like by reading A Month in the Life of a CASA Volunteer.
What Ongoing Support Looks Like — Your Advocacy Supervisor
You will never navigate a case alone. Every CASA volunteer is paired with an Advocacy Supervisor, a dedicated Voices for Children staff member who provides regular guidance, feedback, and support throughout your service.
Your Advocacy Supervisor will:
- Check in with you regularly throughout your case
- Help you prepare your court reports and court appearances
- Answer questions about the system, your role, and challenging situations
- Connect you with additional resources and training opportunities
- Provide a stable point of contact as your case evolves
This structure means that even if you’ve never interacted with the foster care system before, you have an experienced professional in your corner every step of the way. The Advocacy Supervisor relationship is one of the most valued parts of the CASA experience, according to volunteers across the Riverside County program.
Get a realistic picture of what active advocacy looks like by reading A Month in the Life of a CASA Volunteer.
How Much Time Does It Take? Understanding the Commitment
Most CASA volunteers spend 10 hours per month on their case. That breaks down to roughly two to four visits with the child, plus time for coordination calls, documentation, and occasional court appearances.
Time commitment varies by case. Some months are quieter; others, particularly around court dates, may be more active. Your Advocacy Supervisor will help you manage your schedule and communicate clearly when deadlines are approaching.
CASA volunteers serve a minimum of one year per case. Many choose to continue beyond that, and some advocates stay with a child until their case is closed by the court. The relationship you build over that time is often one of the most meaningful of your life, and of theirs.
Have some questions?
Learn more about the CASA model.
Read our FAQs to learn more about the role of a CASA volunteer.
Hear from Our Youth
Real Voices: What Riverside County CASA Volunteers Say
The best way to understand what becoming a CASA volunteer really means is to hear from people who have done it. Volunteers across Riverside County describe the experience as challenging, humbling, and deeply rewarding, a role that changes not only the child’s life, but their own.
Many volunteers say they came in expecting to give something, and found they received far more than they anticipated, a clearer sense of purpose, a stronger connection to their community, and the knowledge that they made a real difference during one of the most uncertain periods of a child’s life.
Read firsthand accounts from active volunteers by visiting Volunteer Experiences in Riverside County to hear from the people doing this work right now.
How We Support Our CASA Volunteers
Training
You don’t need to know how the foster care system works or have a legal background to sign up to become a CASA. We provide all the training you need to become a successful advocate for a child. You can even add “trained as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)” to your resume or LinkedIn profile.
Advocacy Supervisor
Every volunteer is paired with a Voices for Children staff member called an Advocacy Supervisor who will support you every step of the way. Our team is knowledgeable about foster care, trauma-informed care, legal proceedings, and the many resources available to children in foster care.
Continuing Education
Throughout your service, you will continue to have opportunities to learn and grow. Voices for Children offers small groups and continuing education including recommended readings, presentations on specific issues impacting foster care, and group discussions with fellow CASAs.
Related Resources — Your Complete Riverside County CASA Guide
This hub page is designed to be your central starting point. The following resources go deeper on specific aspects of the CASA volunteer experience in Riverside County:
- 6 Steps to Becoming a CASA — A step-by-step walkthrough of the full process from application to first case
- Being a CASA While Working Full Time — How to make the commitment work around a busy schedule
- A Month in the Life of a CASA Volunteer — A realistic look at what active advocacy involves week to week
- Volunteer Experiences in Riverside County — Hear directly from current volunteers about their journeys
- Volunteer Opportunities in Riverside County — Overview of all the ways you can get involved with Voices for Children
- About Voices for Children — Our mission, values, and history as Riverside County’s only court-designated CASA program
- Our Mission — What drives every CASA, every advocate, and every staff member at Voices for Children
Take the First Step Today
Every child in Riverside County who enters the foster care system deserves someone who will fight for their stability, their education, and their future. That someone could be you.
You don’t need a perfect resume. You don’t need a background in law or social work. You need a willingness to show up, ask questions, and speak up for a child who doesn’t yet have the power to speak up for themselves.
Voices for Children will train you, support you, and stand beside you every step of the way. The children of Riverside County are waiting.
Start your journey as a CASA volunteer — apply with Voices for Children today.
Get In Touch
If you have any questions about how you can volunteer and make a transformative difference in a child’s life, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are so grateful for your interest, and our team is happy to help.
Riverside County
Brianna Miller
CASA Recruitment and Outreach Manager
951-472-9300
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need legal or social work experience to become a CASA volunteer?
No experience in law or child welfare is required. Voices for Children’s 35-hour Advocate University training prepares you for everything you’ll encounter. What matters most is your reliability, your empathy, and your commitment to showing up consistently for a child who needs you.
How much time will I need to commit each month?
Most CASA volunteers dedicate 10 hours per month to their case. This includes visits with the child, coordination with caregivers and service providers, and court-related preparation. Training sessions for new volunteers are offered in the evenings and on weekends so the program is accessible to working adults.
Can I become a CASA volunteer if I work full time?
Absolutely. Many Voices for Children volunteers hold full-time jobs. The program is specifically designed to be compatible with a working schedule, Advocate University training is offered in evenings and on weekends, and most case activities can be arranged around your availability with advance planning.
What happens after I submit my application?
After you apply, a Voices for Children team member will contact you to schedule an interview. From there, you’ll complete a background check and then begin the 35-hour Advocate University training program. Once training is complete and your background check is cleared, you’ll be sworn in by a juvenile court judge and matched with a child. The full timeline from application to first case typically spans a few months.
For more answers, visit the complete Voices for Children FAQ page.
As a CASA, you can make a lasting difference in a child’s life and in the future of our community. At the same time, don’t be surprised if you notice a change in yourself along the way.