CASA OF MCHENRY COUNTY
Change the Life of a Child in Foster Care
Bring hope to children who have experienced abuse and neglect. Together, we can advocate for their safety, well-being, and future success.
CASA MCHENRY COUNTY
Change the Life of a Child in Foster Care
Bring hope to children suffering from abuse and neglect. Together, we can advocate for their safety, well-being, and future success.
Making a Difference
Every Child Deserves to Live in a Safe, Loving, Forever Home
What is CASA?
A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a dedicated, trained volunteer who advocates for the best interest of a child in the foster care system.
CASA is the only volunteer organization that empowers everyday citizens as appointed members of the court. Volunteers are teachers, business people, retirees, stay-at-home parents; extraordinary people who want to ensure the child’s voice is heard.
What does CASA do?
Imagine what it would be like to lose your parents because they can’t – or won’t – take care of you. Along with a new home, you have dozens of strangers enter your life: police, foster parents, social workers, and more. A CASA volunteer brings stability to a life that desperately needs it.
CASA volunteers act as the eyes and ears of the court, gathering information and building relationships with the child and key figures in their life. They advocate on behalf of the child’s best interest.
How does CASA help?
The ultimate goal of a CASA volunteer is to build a relationship with the child, rooted in trust and stability, that remains until the child has found their forever home. As they get to know the child, a CASA can report to and collaborate with those making key decisions about the child’s life.
By doing so, they help transform the lives of vulnerable children in our community.
Your Help is Needed
Reports of Child Abuse & Neglect in McHenry County each year
the average time a child in Illinois will stay in foster care
Children will be in the court’s care as a victim of abuse or neglect each year
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News and Events
What It Means to Show Love Through Advocacy
If we have all learned anything from The Five Love Languages, it is that there are infinite ways to demonstrate that you care about someone. For my husband, I might plan a fun date night. My daughters, I will pick up a cute lip gloss I know they will love.…
Why Giving Back is the Best Way to Begin Your Year
“New year, new me!” may be a familiar phrase in your household right now. As we step into a fresh year, you may be thinking about new goals, intentions and resolutions. If giving back to your community is high on your list for 2026, CASA of McHenry County offers meaningful…
Family Support Fund – A Legacy of Love, Opportunity, and Hope
Since 2021 the Family Support Fund provided to CASA of McHenry County has generously given away over $29,000 in 192 scholarships for youth in care. This all started with one local couple, John Ferrero and Dr. Karen Burgess Ferrero, through their ingenuity, generosity and with the support of their family,…
It Takes a Village: Stories from the Heart of CASA
It Takes a Village: Stories from the Heart of CASA At CASA of McHenry County, every child we serve has a story—and so does every Advocate who walks alongside them. In this season of giving, we’re honored to share four powerful moments from Advocates of the Month. These stories reflect…
It Takes a Village: Help Us Reach Our $20,000 Match
Together, We Made Giving Tuesday Count On Giving Tuesday, you showed up.Thanks to your generosity, we raised $8,800 in just 24 hours—and with our matching donor, that impact doubled. Your gifts are already at work helping us recruit, train, and support more CASA Advocates for children in foster care who…
Give Back November – Every Child Deserves a Voice
Give Back November: Every Child Deserves a Voice Every child deserves someone to stand by them—to listen, to show up, and to speak up when they can’t.At CASA of McHenry County, that’s what our volunteers do every single day. During Give Back November, we’re asking our community to come together…
Help Brighten a Child’s Holiday
CASA’s Annual Gift Drive Is Underway! Every Holiday season, CASA of McHenry County’s Program Team transforms our office into a joyful hub of giving. Together with our community, we work to make sure every child we serve feels seen, valued, and remembered during the holidays. Each year, businesses, organizations, classrooms,…
Advocate Fall Conference 2025
Advocate Fall Conference 2025: A Day of Connection, Compassion, and Community This past Saturday, CASA of McHenry County hosted our annual Advocate Fall Conference, and what unfolded was nothing short of inspiring. From the moment the doors opened, the room was alive with the energy of our Advocates reconnecting, sharing…
Little Black Dress 2025: An Evening of Purpose, Connection, and Community
By Jen Gibson, Events & Communications Manager What a night! 408 tickets.4 incredible Mission Sponsors.19 Event Sponsors.11 Featured Experience Sponsors.10 dedicated CASA staff.27 adult volunteers.24 teen volunteers. And—together—we raised $110,519 for children in foster care. Together, we hosted an unforgettable evening—one where dinner, dancing, laughter, and generosity collided for a…
CASA Blog: Every Gift Matters Because Every Child Matters
Every Gift Matters Because Every Child Matters by Bea Pedersen CASA of McHenry County is a very unique nonprofit organization. Our work ensures that the interests of each child in our community who is taken from their family is fully represented and their voice is heard. CASA works to see…
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