KRS 620.505: Court -appointed special advocate program -- Local board of directors --

Program director -- CASA volunteers.

(1) For the purpose of providing an independent, efficient, and thorough representation

for children who enter the court system as a result of dependency, abuse, or neglect,

there may be established a court -appointed special advocate program by the chief

judge of family court or, if none, then by the Chief District Judge.

(2) Local CASA programs shall be governed by a local board of dir ectors. For new

CASA programs, the board shall initially be appointed by the chief judge of family

court or, if none, then by the Chief District Judge. Members shall be selected by the

existing board members thereafter. Each board shall include at least tw elve (12)

members. Each board member shall have a demonstrated interest in child welfare

issues and commitment to the purpose and role of the court -appointed special

advocate volunteers. Cabinet employees shall not be eligible to serve as officers of

the board. Members shall, as far as practicable, be representative of the racial and

ethnic composition of the area served by the CASA program. The board shall:

(a) Determine major personnel, organization, fiscal, and program policies,

including but not limited to the following:

1. Measures to be taken to safeguard the CASA program's information

relating to children, their families, and the CASA volunteers;

2. The procedures for the recruitment, screening, training, and supervision

of CASA volunteers; and

3. The procedure for and circumstances warranting dismissal of a CASA

volunteer from the CASA program;

(b) Determine overall plans and priorities for the CASA program, including

provisions for evaluating progress against performance;

(c) Approve the program budget;

(d) Enforce compliance with all conditions of all grants contracts;

(e) Determine rules and procedures for the governing board;

(f) Select the officers and the executive committee, if any, of the governing

board;

(g) Meet at least four (4) times each year; and

(h) Submit an annual report to the association in the uniform manner required

which shall include, but need not be limited to, the following information:

1. Number of CASA volunteers in the program;

2. Number of program staff;

3. Number of children served;

4. Number of volunteers receiving initial training;

5. Number of and topics for in-service training;

6. The type of source of the funds received and the amount received from

each type of source during the previous fiscal year;

7. The expenditures during the previous year; and

8. Other information as deemed appropriate.

(3) Local CASA programs shall comply with the Kentucky CASA N etwork Standards

for Programs. Local programs shall ensure that CASA volunteers are adequately

supervised by providing at least one (1) supervisory staff person for every thirty

(30) CASA volunteers that have been appointed by the court and assigned by the

program director. Each local CASA program shall be managed by a qualified

director whose service may be voluntary or who may be paid a salary. The program

director's duties shall include:

(a) Administration of the CASA program as directed by the local and state

boards;

(b) Recruitment, screening, training, and supervision of CASA volunteers and

other program staff;

(c) Facilitation of the performance of the court -appointed special advocates'

duties; and

(d) Ensuring that the security measures established b y the local and state boards

for safeguarding the information relating to children, their families, and the

CASA volunteers are maintained.

(4) CASA volunteers shall, as far as practicable, be representative of the

socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic composition of the area served.

(5) CASA volunteers may be removed by the court for nonparticipation or other cause

or by the program director pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.

(6) All written court -appointed special advocate reports submitted pursuant to KRS

620.525 shall become part of the cabinet's record of the child.

(7) Employees of the Department for Community Based Services shall not become

volunteers or employees of the court-appointed special advocate program.

(8) Each CASA volunteer, program director, and other program staff shall take an oath,

administered by a member of the Court of Justice, to keep confidential all

information related to the appointed case except in conferring with or reports to the

court, parties to the case, the cabinet, t he Citizen Foster Care Review Board, others

designated by the court, and as provided by law.

(9) CASA volunteers shall be appointed by the presiding judge to represent the best

interest of the child, subject to judicial discretion, and only after confirmat ion from

the program director that the CASA volunteer has been properly screened and

trained.