Shelby County CASA/GAL (Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian Ad Litem) is a volunteer based program that provides trained volunteers to represent the best interests of abused, neglected and dependent children in juvenile court. The volunteers are responsible for conducting interviews with all interested parties in the case in order to provide a report to the Juvenile Judge or Magistrate, attend meetings at Children Services, attend court hearings, and conduct home visits with the child they are advocating for.Volunteers must be 21 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, and undergo a criminal background check. Volunteers must attend a 30 hour training course prior to receiving their first case.