187 Riverside County Children in Foster Care Are Waiting for an Advocate

With National Volunteer Month in April and National Foster Care Awareness Month in May, Voices for Children is urging Riverside County residents to consider becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate. According to the nonprofit, 187 local children in foster care are currently on a waiting list for a CASA volunteer.

"CASAs are often the only consistent adult in the life of a child in foster care, and they are the ones making sure nothing falls through the cracks," said Sharon Morris, Voices for Children's Riverside County managing director. "Our CASA volunteers are kind, compassionate, everyday people who make an incredible difference in the life of a child just by showing up as they are."

This year, roughly 6,000 children are expected to enter the foster care system in Riverside County. Social workers may juggle caseloads of 25 to 35 families, attorneys may represent 100 to 150 children, and judges often oversee 500 to 700 cases. CASA volunteers, by contrast, focus on one child or sibling group at a time, advocating for them in court, at school and in the community.

CASAs go through "Advocate University," Voices for Children's specialized training program — about 35 hours split between live Zoom sessions and self-paced online work. Upon completing all requirements, new CASAs are sworn in by a Superior Court judge and become officers of the court, with access to their child's records, school, medical professionals and anyone else involved in the child's life.

Sun City resident Ron Salary, Voices for Children's 2025 CASA of the Year in Riverside County, is one example. In late April 2023, Salary took on the case of a 15-year-old boy whose adoptive father had died, leaving him without a stable home. The boy moved between relatives, experiencing abuse and neglect. Salary visited him at least twice a month, wrote detailed court reports and advocated before the judge for everything from a math tutor to driving lessons to a bike.

"I cannot even put into words how positive of an experience it is to be a CASA," Salary said. "It is incredible what one child can achieve with the right support and care."

No prior legal or social work experience is required. Applicants must be at least 21 years old, hold a valid driver's license and be willing to commit to at least one visit per month with their assigned child for 12 months. The organization is especially seeking male volunteers and those who are bilingual in English and Spanish.

During fiscal year 2024–25, Voices for Children provided advocacy to 730 children across Riverside County through 414 CASA volunteers and staff. The organization also connects case youth with local resources, including Guardian Scholars at Riverside City College, Inland Empire Job Corps and Youth Opportunity Centers across the county.

Voices for Children is running a campaign called "Your Voice, Their Future" throughout April and May, encouraging residents to refer potential CASA volunteers.

More information: To learn more or sign up for a free online volunteer information session, visit speakupnow.org. To refer a potential volunteer as part of the "Your Voice, Their Future" campaign, visit speakupnow.org/riverside-county-casa-volunteers-needed-male-bilingual/.