Every child who has endured abuse or neglect deserves one thing above all else: someone in their corner.
That’s the mission Paloma Santiago-Adorno shows up for — as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) with NVFS, volunteering alongside the approximately 72 advocates who serve children across our community.
CASA volunteers are the eyes and ears of the court — but more importantly, they are the voice of the child. They meet regularly with the children they serve, and also with family members, caregivers, teachers, mental health professionals, and medical providers. They gather critical information and bring it directly to the judge at every court hearing, ensuring that each child’s needs are seen, heard, and addressed.
Paloma holds a full-time job. She doesn’t have to do this work. She chooses it.
“I’ve chosen to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate because children are the most vulnerable members of our society, and they deserve all of the protections in the world,” she shares.
When she visits the children she advocates for, Paloma keeps things warm and low-pressure. She talks about school, reads books together, plays — anything to create a space where children feel comfortable, not interrogated. “A lot of just parallel play, walking and talking.”
The cases are hard. The circumstances that bring children into the CASA system — abuse, neglect, sometimes by the very people who should have protected them most — are heartbreaking. But Paloma finds something powerful in that difficulty.
“It can also be uplifting, because children keep reminding me that they refuse to be defined by the worst thing that’s ever happened to them. And that is a reason to do this work.”
Research supports what CASA advocates experience firsthand. Children with a dedicated advocate graduate high school at higher rates, spend less time in court, receive more services, and have fewer behavioral challenges — because there is one consistent person ensuring their needs are met.
“What many of these children have been through is unimaginable to many of us,” Paloma reflects. “But no matter what they’ve been through, they still have hopes and dreams. They still have a future they’re looking forward to — and they remind me of that every day.”
NVFS and SCAN merged in January 2025, deepening our commitment to ensuring that every child in the child welfare system has an advocate in their corner.
New CASA volunteers complete 40 hours of pre-service training over six weeks and commit to 12 hours of continuing education each year. It is a meaningful investment — and for the children who receive an advocate, it can change everything.
