{"data":{"id":"us-ms/miss.-code-ann.-43-21-851","jurisdiction":"us-ms","citation":"Miss. Code Ann. § 43-21-851","heading":"Miss. Code Ann. § 43-21-851","body":"As used in Sections 43-21-851 through 43-21-871 , the following words and phrases have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise:\n\n(a) “ Association ” means the state Court-Appointed Special Advocate Association established under Section 43-21-865 .\n\n(b) “ Court ” means youth court or, if there is no youth court in the county where the CASA program is located, then chancery court.\n\n(c) “ Court-appointed special advocate case ” or “ CASA case ” means a child or group of siblings who are within the jurisdiction of the court as a result of abuse, neglect or dependency proceedings and for whom the court has appointed and the program director has assigned a CASA volunteer.\n\n(d) “ Court-appointed special advocate program ” or “ CASA program ” means a program by which trained community volunteers are provided to the court for appointment to represent the best interests of children who have come into the court system as a result of dependency, abuse or neglect.\n\n(e) “ Court-appointed special advocate volunteer ” or “ CASA volunteer ” means a person who completes training through, and is supervised by, a CASA program and appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of dependent, abused or neglected children in court.\n\n(f) “ Local board ” means the local board of directors appointed or selected pursuant to Section 43-21-853 to govern a local CASA program.\n\n(g) “ Program director ” means the director of each local CASA program selected under Section 43-21-853 .\n\n(h) “ State board ” means the state board of directors elected under Section 43-21-865 .\n\n(i) “ State director ” means the director of the state association provided for in Section 43-21-869 .","path":["MS Code","Title 43"],"source_url":"https://legislature.ms.gov/","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:17Z","sha256":"5bd7925b3e4f99a1ad4eb59421bafbe4f6b364a07e8c549c6ac9ed251f8c4af9","source_id":"us-ms","stale":false,"prev":"us-ms/miss.-code-ann.-43-21-803","next":"us-ms/miss.-code-ann.-43-21-853"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}