We stay focused and productive through challenges, finding solutions
that keep children’s best interests at the center.We remain unbiased, respectful, and fair in all relationships, guided by
honesty and compassion.We think creatively to solve problems and hold ourselves to the
highest standards of quality and consistency.
Our Values
At Lincoln County CASA, our values guide everything we do. They shape how we advocate, how we serve families, and how we support the children who need us most. These principles reflect our commitment to integrity, compassion, and excellence in every case and every community we serve.
Mission
To speak up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in Lincoln County through trained volunteer advocates, ensuring every child has a safe, permanent, and loving home.
Vision
A community where every child in the foster care and court system is heard, valued, and supported by a dedicated CASA volunteer.
CASA'S Mission & Vision
10K+
Volunteer hours donated in service of local children.
10
Active Advocates currently changing lives in Lincoln County.
100+
Children served by CASA volunteers.
IMPACT
The Difference We Make Together
Since our founding, Lincoln County CASA has proudly served the most vulnerable children in our community—ensuring they have someone standing beside them every step of the way.
Every statistic represents a story, a child, and a brighter future.
OUR STORY
How it all began
The CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) movement began in Seattle, Washington in 1977, when a juvenile court judge expressed concern that courts were deciding the fate of children removed from their homes without having enough information. This inspired the creation of a program where trained community volunteers could gather facts, speak with those involved in the child’s life, and present well-informed recommendations to the court.
From that first initiative, CASA has grown into a national network of over 955 programs in 49 states—each built on the belief that every child has the right to a safe, permanent home.
Lincoln County CASA was founded with that same purpose: to ensure that no child facing abuse, neglect, or the upheaval of the court system has to navigate it alone. Our volunteers are appointed by a juvenile court judge to advocate for the best interests of children who have been removed from unsafe homes, often in sensitive and complex home placement cases.
Unlike overburdened caseworkers who may manage 10–20 cases at once, a Lincoln County CASA volunteer typically focuses on just one case at a time. This allows them to truly get to know the child, their family, and the circumstances—speaking with everyone who might have valuable insight, reviewing all records, and attending every court and multidisciplinary hearing.
As an official part of the judicial process, CASA advocates serve alongside guardians ad litem and social workers, but speak exclusively for the child’s best interests. They become a steady, reliable presence in the child’s life, submitting formal reports to the court with thoughtful, fact-based recommendations aimed at securing safe, stable, and permanent homes.
Over the years, our organization has grown thanks to passionate volunteers, committed staff, and generous community support. Today, we continue to train and empower Court Appointed Special Advocates who work tirelessly to ensure every child we serve is seen, heard, and valued.
OUR TEAM
Meet the People behind the mission
Our dedicated team of staff and board members ensure that CASA continues to serve children with compassion, integrity, and unwavering commitment.
My Why:
Although I have not always worked with CASA, I have consistently been passionate about advocating for the welfare of children and ensuring they have a voice in the legal system. Over the past 29 years in the child welfare field, I have seen the importance of having someone stand beside children during such a vulnerable time.
My journey with CASA began as a Volunteer Coordinator in Cheyenne County, and today I serve as the Executive Director in Lincoln County. In both roles, I have witnessed firsthand the powerful impact CASA Advocates have on children’s lives. The relationships they build often extend beyond the courtroom, providing stability, encouragement, and hope.
Too often, a CASA Advocate is the only consistent adult in a child’s life—a trusted presence who shows up time and again. That consistency is life-changing, and it’s why I believe so deeply in CASA’s mission.
My Why:
I chose to become a CASA advocate because I believe every child deserves to feel safe, heard, and valued—especially during times of uncertainty. So many children in the foster care system face challenges no child should have to go through alone. I wanted to be someone who could stand up for them, help make their voice heard, and ensure their best interests are at the center of every decision. Being a CASA isn’t just about supporting a child—it’s about showing them that their life matters, and that someone truly cares.
My Why:
The predominant reason for becoming involved with CASA was recognizing the importance of children having an actual voice within their experience as they move through the child welfare system. My original education was as an elementary school teacher and found it heartbreaking that the child may not understand or be able to express what their opinions are or what they prefer to have happen. Even if what they prefer isn't in their best interests, it is important for any person to at least feel the opportunity to be heard and that they have some ability to impact what is happening within their lives. As well, it is important to be able to recognize what the CASA advocate believes is in the best interests of the child, even if it differs from anyone else involved in the case. It is a vital role and I am so glad to be able to support this worthy endeavor on behalf of the children Lincoln County CASA supports.
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Shari Cecil
Vice Chair
My Why:
Because every child deserves to have someone who will fight for them.
Margaret Jackson
Secretary / Treasurer
My Why:
P. Price
Board Member
My Why:
As a retired teacher, I’m a life long advocate for children and CASA has been a great way to continue working for the welfare of children in our community.
Kelly Hughes
Board Member
My Why:
Every child should have a voice. CASA is that voice.
Derek Beck
Board Member
My Why:
I am happy to be involved with CASA in Lincoln County. There are far too many children in the foster system locally who need a voice for them. Our board works hard to make sure we can find quality people in our community who will donate their time to visiting foster homes and reporting back to the Judge in charge of the case, on behalf of the child. These kids need a voice on their behalf, not just a case worker.
Lynnette Niles
Board Member
My Why:
Everyone deserves to have someone in their corner.
Kira Paben
Board Member
My Why:
I came to the board as a former foster parent. My kids were in seven different homes before ours. My husband was the teacher of oldest and that is how we got placement, because of that relationship my husband had a connection with the kids and we were able to be the voice of our kids. Our kids didn’t have a CASA advocate but we stepped into that role with the case worker and the boys town worker. The kids in foster care need someone that will be their voice that way the kids don’t have the guilt of saying they don’t want to go back to their parents. The CASA advocate is a role that is vital to helping these kids with what they want and what is best for them.
John Stadler
Board Member
My Why:
Children deserve to have a chance to be a part the court involvement with having someone who can navigate that for them.
JJ Connelly
Board Member
My Why:
Kids that go into the foster care system typically come from bad situations. They deserve a voice for them. Not what the court wants, not what their foster parents want, or what their parents want, but they want and need.
