‘Male Role’ Call: CASA Volunteers & Boys in Foster Care

Did you know that less than 15 percent of active CASA volunteer advocates are men? Despite these sparse numbers, men who have made the commitment to become a CASA volunteer make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable young people. These men are powerful advocates who can ensure youth receive the support, services, and opportunities they deserve. 

Society often considers working with youth, and one-on-one child connection as a stereotypical, more female-centered role – think teachers, nurses, social workers, and childcare providers. Born from gender stereotypes and societal expectations, it has now become natural or easy for men to believe they don’t fit or belong in such a role, including that of a CASA volunteer. Men may even fear what others will think about their motive for working with children; this, despite there being no reality to such typecast and clichéd thinking, all of which deserve not a moment’s validation. All of these assumptions and expectations are too easily perpetuated across peers, family, and generations.

Let’s examine why that mindset not only hinders but hurts youth in desperate need of connection to a positive male role model.

Sixteen-year-old Jared is at an age where developing independence and navigating all types of relationships is important, but he’s floundering. Moving placements multiple times has kept him feeling detached, invisible, and unimportant. He’s wondering, "Am I good enough? Do I matter? Just where do I belong?"

Jared has never had a consistent, positive male figure in his life. When men were around in the past, the experiences were largely negative. Now, he is unsure how to act and who to trust, and has defaulted to all he has ever known: Act tough. Be loud. Take up lots of space. Jared has learned that doing so keeps others away, so he need not worry so much about rejection or abandonment.

This is where a male CASA volunteer can step in. Not just as a mentor, but as an advocate who ensures Jared IS NOT overlooked by the very systems meant to support him. Whether it’s pushing for stable placement, appropriate mental health resources, or educational opportunities, male volunteers can use their voice to ensure the needs of Jared and children like him are heard and addressed.

For the record, a female CASA volunteer can also provide invaluable support, mentorship, and advocacy to males. This is not about capability; it’s about being seen, the unique needs of male teens, and the critical gaps male CASA volunteers can fill. Those gaps include the emotional connection that can break down barriers created over time, as the trauma of abuse and neglect take hold. As those connections are created, male volunteers are also doing the in-the-trenches advocacy work: standing alongside them in courtrooms, attending school and family team meetings, and ensuring their best interests are not lost in the shuffle.

As young men often seek validation from male figures, relating to a male CASA volunteer can feel more natural, welcome, and more easily accepted. Male advocates can demonstrate that strength includes empathy, accountability, and respect—qualities that can be missing from media portrayals of manhood today. Through kindness, emotional intelligence, consistency, and taking responsibility, the male CASA volunteer can challenge negative stereotypes and show a struggling male that toughness and suppression are not the way.

Big picture, statistics show that teens and young adults in foster care are at higher risk of substance use, delinquency, and involvement in the criminal justice system—and this is especially so for males. A CASA volunteer offers structure through routine visits and regular communication, listening without judgment, and, thanks to the fostered connection, they are equipped to advocate in court, classrooms, and community for services, access, and opportunities, all the while offering guidance to the youth when situations arise at school or work, and in relationships and other real-life situations that require navigation.

The impact doesn’t stop there. Male CASA volunteers can ensure these futures are built on solid ground by actively advocating for resources, educational and medical needs, housing concerns, and other opportunities that break cycles of instability and set boys and young men on a path to success.