Time Can Change Everything
A look back at the children’s lives that were changed because one volunteer chose to give her time. This year, 272 CASA of Northwest Arkansas volunteers walked alongside 515 children in foster care across Benton, Washington, Madison, and Carroll counties — logging 55,653 miles to be there for a birthday, a court date, a graduation, or just a Tuesday afternoon.
The Year in Numbers (July 2025 – June 2026)
- 515 kids served
- 272 active volunteers
- 40 new volunteers this year
- 55,653 miles traveled by advocates
- 87% of volunteers stayed on a case from beginning to end
- 20 months average case length
- 195 kids found permanence — 82 families reunified, 64 adoptions, 24 legal guardianships
- $830,000 raised at Light of Hope
- $180,000 saved annually by owning our office outright — going straight to programs
Meet Amy Fowler
Since 2014, Amy has served as an advocate for ten children — most notably Rex, whose case spanned over a decade before his adoption in November 2025. Over those years, Amy’s advocacy added up to 4 adoptions, 3 reunifications, 28 birthdays celebrated, 1 wedding attended, and 2 graduations, with one case still an open, ongoing reunification as of 2026. Her time changed everything — for every child she walked alongside.
Download the full printed report (PDF)
The Fuller Picture
Our printed report only has room for the headlines. Here’s a deeper look at the year, for anyone who wants it.
Reach Across Our Four Counties
CASA of NWA serves every county in our region — and Washington and Benton counties together account for over 9 in 10 of the kids we serve.
- Washington County: 289 kids (56%)
- Benton County: 186 kids (36%)
- Carroll County: 26 kids (5%)
- Madison County: 14 kids (3%)
What Happens When a Case Closes
Of the 195 cases that closed this year:
- Reunification: 82 (42%)
- Adoption: 64 (33%)
- Legal guardianship: 24 (12%)
- Aged out: 17 (9%)
- Custody: 1 (<1%)
- Unknown/other: 7 (4%)
Advocacy in Action
CASA volunteers don’t just show up in court. This year they provided 778 advocacy services across these areas:
- Healthcare advocacy: 217
- Mental health advocacy: 175
- Educational advocacy: 173
- Permanency advocacy: 148
- Legal advocacy: 65
Volunteers Going the Distance
- 128 placements (25%) were “out of area,” meaning the child was placed outside the region — and volunteers followed anyway, just like Amy did for Rex.
- Volunteers logged 3,715 hours directly on their cases, plus another 271 hours in trainings, court, and other CASA activities.
- Case-related driving alone totaled 52,938 miles.
Volunteers Who Stick Around
- 56% of active volunteers have served 3+ years; nearly a third (31%) have served 5+ years.
- Only 18% are “rookies” in their first year — most of our volunteer base is deeply experienced.
Who We Serve
CASA of NWA advocates for every child referred to us, regardless of background. A snapshot of the 515 kids in the program this year:
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female
- Age: 27% ages 0–4, 17% ages 5–9, 15% ages 10–13, 28% ages 14–17, 13% ages 18+
- Race/ethnicity: 54% Caucasian, 18% Hispanic, 10% Black, 7% multiracial, 4% Pacific Islander, 4% other/unknown, 3% Native American
Our Donor Community
- 1,348 donors supported CASA of NWA this year
- 584 of those were brand-new donors