MISSION STATEMENT The mission of CASA for Kids of East Texas, Inc. is to support abused and neglected children in Smith, Van Zandt and Wood Counties by providing court appointed trained community volunteers who advocate for loving, safe, and permanent outcomes. Vision Our vision is to assign a CASA volunteer advocate for every abused and neglected child that needs one. History CASA® for Kids of East Texas, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides trained community volunteers to advocate for the abused and neglected children of Smith, Wood and Van Zandt Counties. CASA is a national volunteer movement that began in 1977 when Judge David Soukup in Seattle decided he needed to know more about the children whose lives were in his hands. His solution was to ask community volunteers to act as a “voice in court” for abused and neglected children. These Court Appointed Special Advocates® (CASAs) provided him with the detailed information he needed to safeguard the children’s best interests and ensure that they were placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. The program was so successful that it was copied around the nation. CASA for Kids of East Texas is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. CASA for Kids of East Texas is a member of the National and Texas CASA Associations. There are nearly 1,000 CASA programs nationwide and 71 CASA programs in the state of Texas.