Current Position:
Executive Director, Georgia CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates, Inc.)
Community Involvement
- United Way DeKalb Advisory Board
- Various nonprofit, regional, local, and civic leadership alumni groups
Hobbies
- Travel and trip planning
- Atlanta and Georgia enthusiast
- Spending time with family and friends
- Local podcasts
- Photography
Recent Books
- Covenant of Water
- Flipped: How Georgia Turned Purple
Childhood Hero
- Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund
What most people don’t know about you?
- As much as I talk and easily engage in conversations, I am perfectly content to travel solo, people-watch for hours, and drive long distances alone.
- I was shy as a child and struggled in school. In college, I started taking big risks that built confidence and connections that led me on a deeply meaningful professional journey and resulted in a diverse professional network that has provided me with so many opportunities and experiences that I never knew or dreamed possible.
Georgia CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates, Inc.) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in foster care throughout the state. By advocating for children who have experienced abuse or neglect, CASA volunteers amplify each child’s voice and help change a child’s story.
In 1976, Superior Court Judge David Soukup of Seattle, Washington, observed a recurring problem in the courtroom. He recognized that there was too little information available to base life-changing decisions about the safety, permanency and well-being of children. To address this problem, he raised funds to recruit and train community volunteers to speak on behalf of children in court. In 1977, a CASA pilot program was formed based on Judge Soukup’s idea. In 1982, the National CASA/GAL Association for Children was established to direct CASA’s emerging national presence. In 1988, Georgia CASA began originally as Kids of Georgia Need Volunteers, Inc. Today, Georgia CASA supports 46 affiliate programs across the state and operates in every county in Georgia.
CASA volunteers are specially trained people from all walks of life, appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interests of Georgia’s children in foster care. Their sole purpose is to provide compassionate, individualized attention to help each child find a safe, permanent home. By meeting with teachers, doctors, lawyers, social workers, and foster parents, they improve the child’s representation both in and out of court.
A child with a CASA volunteer is more likely to find a safe, permanent home; experience fewer foster placements; spend less time in long-term foster care; receive needed healthcare and educational support; participate in extracurricular and social activities; and succeed in school. One year of CASA advocacy costs less than one month of foster care. In Georgia, there are over 2,500 CASA volunteers representing 8,600 abused and neglected children, speaking up for their best interests. There remain 7,200 children waiting for a CASA volunteer and their safe, loving, permanent home.
In May 2018, Jennifer ‘Jen’ King was selected to succeed Georgia CASA’s longest serving Executive Director (18 years) as the 5th director in the organization’s 30-year history. Jen King previously served as the Program Operations Director, coordinating training and support services for local CASA affiliates, including 200 staff, 500 board members and 2,700 volunteers. Her leadership at Georgia CASA over the past 20+ years has helped to propel the statewide CASA organization into a dynamic, well-respected network. With degrees in nonprofit administration and child development, Jen has dedicated her career to making connections with and on behalf of children and families, alongside advocates and nonprofit leaders, and the larger community. She has worked with United Way of Greater Atlanta, National CASA, and many groups and committees involved in strengthening communities. Most recently, Jen was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to serve on The Georgia Office of the Child Advocate Advisory Committee.
