Riverside County CASA Application Form

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Voices for Children CASA Volunteer Application for Riverside County
Important: Before You Begin
- The application will take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete.
- The application does not save, so please be prepared to complete it in one sitting.
- If the application times out due to inactivity, you will need to start over.
- Do not use the back button on your web browser. If you need to return to the previous page, use the "Previous" button at the bottom of the page.
- Tip: We suggest formulating your answers in a Word document and then copying and pasting the information into your application. You can find the application topics and questions below.
The information on this form will help us assess your eligibility to serve as a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate for Voices for Children, Riverside County’s designated CASA organization. All information provided to Voices for Children is confidential and for internal use only.

Instructions:
1. Please read the directions carefully and complete all sections of the application thoroughly.
2. Have your education, work, and volunteer history handy. You will also have the option to upload a PDF of your résumé.
3. We recommend preparing answers to the open-ended questions in advance to avoid losing your progress:
  - Why are you interested in volunteering with Voices for Children?
  - How do you hope to benefit from this volunteer experience?
  - Describe any experiences you have had involving people of races and classes different from your own.
  - Please describe any work or volunteer experience with foster children and/or their families.
  - Please describe any additional training or special skills you may have acquired through employment, volunteer service, or life experience.
  - Autobiography: Please tell us about yourself in 100-500 words, in the first person, including information about your childhood and your current family situation.
4. If you have lived outside of California in the past seven years, you will be asked to provide as much information as possible regarding your previous addresses and dates of residency. By the first day of training, we will need complete physical addresses in order to perform the proper background checks. (Tip: you can obtain your addresses from your credit report.)
Thank you for taking the time to complete your CASA application! We look forward to receiving it. If you have any questions, please contact us at rcvolunteer@speakupnow.org.

Your Information
First Name*
Middle Initial*
If you do not have a middle name, please enter "N/A."
Last Name*
Maiden Name/Nickname/AKA
Date of Birth*
Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY
Home Address*
Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code
Home Phone*
Work Phone
Cell Phone
Preferred Phone Number*
Email*
Emergency Contact (phone, name, relationship to applicant)*
Volunteer Information Session
Please attend an Information Session before scheduling an interview.
I have attended an information session.*
- Yes
- No
I plan to attend an information session on:

Essay Questions
Please answer the following questions as completely as you can.
Why are you interested in volunteering with Voices for Children?*
How do you hope to benefit from this volunteer experience?*
Describe any experiences you have had involving cultures different from your own.*
How did you hear about Voices for Children?*

Autobiography
Please write a short autobiography (100-500 words), in the first person, including information about your childhood and your current family situation.*
(You will have an opportunity to provide a résumé in the next step.)

Education
I have earned a high school diploma/GED/certificate of completion.*
- Yes
- No
For highest level of education completed, please state name of school/college/university and any credentials earned (e.g., diploma, degree, certificate), if applicable.*
Are you a current undergrad student?*
- Yes
- No
Please provide name of school and expected graduation date. Please also share any post-graduation plans to relocate outside Riverside County.
Are you a current or prospective graduate/law student?*
- Yes
- No
Please provide name of school, program, and expected graduation date. Please also share any internship/field practicum plans or experience, as well as any plans to relocate outside Riverside County.
Work Experience
Please provide a plain-text résumé or upload a PDF file. Alternatively, please list all places worked in the last 10 years. Include organization names and locations, as well as your title for each and dates worked. If you have no work history (you've never been employed), please enter "N/A."
Current Employment*
Past Employment / Plain-text Résumé*
Upload a PDF Résumé
Accepted file types: pdf.
Please describe any work or volunteer experience with foster children and/or their families.*
If you know any children currently in foster care or anyone who currently works or volunteers with foster children, please list their names, your relationship to them, and, if applicable, in what capacity they interact with foster children.*
Please describe any additional training or special skills you may have acquired through employment, volunteer service, or life experience.
Please list any languages other than English in which you are fluent (including ASL).

Activities and Interests
Please list any community service organizations or clubs to which you currently belong.*
Please list any community service organizations or clubs to which you have belonged in the past but with which you are not currently involved.*
Please list any hobbies or special interests you have.*
Please check all that apply.
- I have strong writing skills.
- I am comfortable speaking in public.
- I have plans in the next two years that might interfere with my ability to volunteer.
Please list any details you would like to share about the statements above.
Time Availability
Please describe your current schedule and availability. (Consider work, school, and other commitments, such as volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and family obligations.)*
Please describe how flexible your daytime schedule is. Consider whether you're able to adjust your hours and how easy it would be to do so; how much notice you'd need to get time away from daytime commitments or work, if applicable; and, generally, how long are you able to be away from your place of employment, etc. during standard business hours (9-5).*
Once per month, a CASA may need to adjust their schedule to accommodate a meeting or visit on a different day or time than they had routinely established. Please indicate any timeframes in which you would NEVER be able to do so due to commitments that are firm and not flexible.*
- A weekday morning
- A weekday afternoon
- A weekday evening
- A Saturday or Sunday
- I could shift my schedule during any timeframe once per month
Please share any concerns or time constraints you may have.*
Driving
The children we serve live throughout Riverside County. It is not unusual for them to move frequently or for siblings to be placed apart. Most CASAs drive 30-45 minutes each way to visit their case child(ren). All CASAs are expected to be willing and able to drive at least once a month to visit their case child(ren) wherever they are placed.
Would you be willing to drive more than 30 minutes (one way) to visit your case child or children?*
- Yes
- No
Would you be willing to drive about an hour (one way) to visit your case child or children?*
- Yes
- No
Would you be willing to drive more than one hour (one way) to visit your case child or children?*
- Yes
- No
Please share any concerns or driving limitations you may have.*

Disclosures
Have you lived outside the U.S. in the past 2 years?*
- Yes
- No
Please specify country, dates of residency, and current U.S. citizenship status (permanent resident, visa, green card, etc.).
Have you lived outside of California in the past 7 years?*
- Yes
- No
Please list (to the best of your ability) all of your addresses outside of CA for the past 7 years, with dates of residency for each.
If you do not have entire address details at this time, please list at a minimum the cities, states, and approximate dates you lived there. Complete physical addresses will be required on the first day of training in order to complete the proper background checks. (Tip: you can obtain your addresses from your credit report.)
I am (or was) involved with Child Protective Services, or Child Welfare Services, in California or another state.*
- Yes
- No
Please explain.
I have been convicted of a crime in California or another state, federal court, the military, or a jurisdiction outside the U.S.*
- Yes
- No
You must disclose all convictions, including reckless and drunk driving convictions, even if it happened a long time ago; it was only a misdemeanor; you didn't have to go to court (your attorney went for you); you had no jail time or the sentence was only a fine or probation; you received a certificate of rehabilitation; the conviction was later dismissed, set aside, or the sentence was suspended.
Please state the charge, date, and location of each offense, as well as any additional details you would like to share.*
If you have a criminal conviction, it may or may not eliminate you from consideration.
I have had at least one major moving violation in the past four years and/or more than three minor moving violations in the past three years, in California or any other state.*
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Please explain.
Minor moving violations include, but are not limited to: speeding, making an unsafe lane change, and running a red light. Major moving violations include, but are not limited to: driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, and driving with a suspended, revoked, or invalid license.
I have been directly involved with a court proceeding in California or another state.*
- Yes
- No
Please explain.
If I volunteer with Voices for Children, I would agree to (please check all that apply):*
- Be a volunteer for a minimum period of 18 months
- Participate in ongoing supervision and training meetings
- Maintain confidentiality regarding all court cases
- Submit to a fingerprint-based criminal index and investigation background check (including FBI, DOJ, Child Abuse Central Index and Megan's Law sexual offender registry)
- Have at least 2 years driving experience and maintain a valid driver's license
- Provide verification of auto liability insurance before working directly with children
- Provide a report of my DMV history before working directly with children
Please list any concerns you might have about the above items.
Please note: 1) For applicants who have not lived in the State of California for the past 5 years, VFC will conduct a background check in the previous state(s) of residency. 2) Any applicant found to have been convicted of, or having charges pending for, a felony or misdemeanor involving a sexual offense, child abuse or neglect, or related acts that would pose risks to children or the CASA Program will be rejected.

Optional Demographic Data
The following information will be used for statistical reporting purposes only. All information provided by you will be kept confidential. Please check all that apply in each category.

Voices for Children is an Equal Opportunity organization and does not exclude applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, age, medical condition, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, caregiver status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Gender
- Male
- Female
- Transgender
- Other gender identity/expression
Please specify.
What are your preferred pronouns?
Language(s)
- Arabic
- Chinese
- English
- French
- German
- Hindi
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Persian
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Somali
- Spanish
- Tagalog
- Vietnamese
- Other
Please list the other language(s) you speak.
Employment Status
- Employed Full-Time
- Employed Part-Time
- Not employed but looking for work
- Not employed and not looking for work
- Homemaker
- Retired
- Student
- Other
Please describe your employment status.
Marital Status
- Single
- Married
- Separated
- Divorced
- Widowed
- Other
Please indicate your marital status.
Education
- High School
- AA/AS
- BA/BS
- JD
- MA/MS
- PhD/EdD
- Other
Please describe any additional education.
Military Status
- Active
- Reserve
- Veteran
- National Guard
- Spouse
- Dependent
- ROTC
- Retired
- Former
- Other
Please describe your military status.
To the best of your knowledge, do you currently have any transfers or deployments scheduled within the next 2 years?
Voices for Children understands that unexpected commitments can arise in the course of active duty, and we will do our best to help accommodate unforeseen circumstances.
To the best of your knowledge, does your family currently have any transfers scheduled within the next 2 years? Are there any other special situations or pending circumstances you'd like to share?
Voices for Children understands that unexpected commitments can arise in the course of active duty, and we will do our best to help accommodate unforeseen circumstances.
Race/Ethnic Origin
- White/Caucasian
- Hispanic/Latino
- Black/African American
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Asian Indian
- Chinese
- Filipino
- Japanese
- Korean
- Vietnamese
- Other Asian
- Native Hawaiian
- Guamanian or Chamorro
- Samoan
- Other race/ethnicity
Please describe your ethnic origin.

Sign and Certify
I certify that the information provided by me in this application is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and I agree to have any of my statements verified by Voices for Children unless I have indicated to the contrary. I certify that I understand that volunteer placement is a selection process and that not all applicants are accepted into the program. I understand that volunteers are selected based on individual ability to meet the responsibilities of the CASA Program. I also understand that because of the confidential nature of the screening process, Voices for Children is not obligated to disclose to me reasons for any decision concerning my acceptance or non-acceptance into the program. Furthermore, I understand that Voices for Children has to consider the best interests of the children first when matching them with CASAs. Thus, I understand that the agency is not obligated to assign to me a child and that submission of this application in no way obligates me to perform volunteer services.
*
- I agree to and accept the terms and conditions above.
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SAN DIEGO COUNTY

2851 Meadow Lark Drive
San Diego, CA 92123
Phone: 858-569-2019

RIVERSIDE COUNTY

P.O. Box 7219
Riverside, CA 92513
Phone: 951-472-9301

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Copyright ©2017 - 2018 VOICES FOR CHILDREN. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy
Voices for Children is a 501(c)(3) non-profit recognized by the IRS. Tax ID Number: 95-3786047.
Photos associated with the children's stories are for illustrative purposes only to maintain confidentiality.

Step 1 of 9

Voices for Children CASA Volunteer Application for Riverside County

Important: Before You Begin

Instructions:

Your Information

Volunteer Information Session

Essay Questions

Autobiography

Education

Work Experience

Activities and Interests

Time Availability

Driving

Disclosures

Optional Demographic Data

Sign and Certify

SAN DIEGO COUNTY

RIVERSIDE COUNTY

STAY CONNECTED