Alameda County is home to the largest number (approximately 1,270) of foster children in the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of these children have faced childhood abuse, neglect or abandonment, sometimes followed by years of instability as they are moved from one foster care placement to another. High child welfare worker caseloads and frequent case reassignments result in little time to develop relationships. Not only do child welfare workers change but children often lack continuity among other professionals, including caregivers, attorneys, teachers, therapists, psychiatrists, judges/commissioners, and even their friends. A CASA volunteer serves as a wholly independent voice exclusively of the child/youth ensuring that all professionals involved in the case have up to date information and are completing tasks in a timely manner. They advocate for sibling visitation, educational support, extracurricular activities, health, mental health services, and more. Each volunteer is required to complete an extensive screening process, as well as 30-hour training before taking on a case. CASA volunteers spend a minimum of 10 hours per month meeting with the youth and working on his/her case. We ask volunteers to make a minimum commitment of one year, though many volunteers maintain relationships for years, becoming lifelong permanent connections.