The CASA concept was initiated by Superior Court Judge David Soukup in Seattle, Washington in 1976. Judge Soukup, concerned that he was not receiving adequate information to make appropriate rulings on behalf of abused and neglected children, appointed a group of community volunteers to perform an independent investigation of each child’s situation. The concept was well received and, today, there are more than 1,000 CASA programs nationwide. Of these, 72 programs are located in the state of Texas, serving a total of 214 counties. CASA was first introduced to the Denton County community by a small group of concerned citizens as early as 1989. By 1991, five Denton County district court judges had signed a “program support intent form,” signifying their endorsement of the CASA concept and their support of the proven assistance a local CASA program could provide in their courtrooms. In February of 1992, the program was granted its Articles of Incorporation and began providing court advocacy services for child victims of abuse and neglect.

From 1992 to 1996, the CASA program in Denton County was operated solely by volunteers on a shoestring budget, serving up to eleven children in any one year.  In 1996, the first paid staff person was hired and the program really began to take shape. Today, CASA of Denton County employs 17 full-time staff, utilizes up to 250 volunteer child advocates annually, has a 19-member Board of Directors, and serves more than 600 children each year.