Hill Country Casa Inc
Hill Country CASA provides trained, court-appointed volunteers who passionately advocate for abused and neglected children in Kerr, Kendall, Bandera and Gillespie Counties.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Hill Country CASA (HCCASA) was established in 1989 to provide trained community volunteers to serve child residents of Kerr, Kendall, Bandera and Gillespie Counties removed from their homes and into state foster care due to abuse or neglect, and aid the courts making decisions about permanence for these children. A child removed from their home loses everything they know at once; their home, parents, friends, pets, school and other connections that provide a "normal" and stable childhood; in Texas' large and chaotic child welfare system, timely individual attention and services is difficult to achieve for each of them. HCCASA volunteers work under court appointment to assure every child in foster care from the Hill Country receives ongoing individual attention, necessary services & timely placement in a safe and permanent home. CASAs are trained to provide strong advocacy for the child's best interest, timely individual services, and family reunification whenever safely possible.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Hill Country CASA
Orientation and training of volunteers appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in the court system.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
National CASA 1989
Texas CASA 1989
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of children served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Infants and toddlers, Children and youth
Related Program
Hill Country CASA
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
We have served 100% of the population in need in each of the years reported. Due to significant changes in Texas' child welfare system, the population has decreased over the years.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
That every child taken into State conservatorship because of abuse or neglect from Kerr, Kendall, Bandera and Gillespie counties have a well trained volunteer advocate to work with the court during the term of the legal case.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Hill Country CASA will continue to recruit, screen, train, supervisor and support community volunteers to serve as advocates for the five courts in our service area. We will maintain service to 100% of the population eligible in our service area, via the service of well-trained, court-sworn community volunteers. We will continue to use annual written program evaluations by attorneys, the judiciary and our volunteers to identify strengths and weaknesses in our program. We will continue to work to maintain a strong program with positive community recognition.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
At present we are able to serve 100% of the children in State conservatorship because of abuse or neglect in our four county service area. We will work to add volunteers to continue service at 100%. In 2021, we were the only one of the 72 CASA programs in Texas were able to achieve service to 100% of the population, and we are grateful for the community volunteers and supporters that have stepped forward to ensure safe permanence for the children we together serve.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
At present we are meeting our goals and we hope to continue that achievement in the year ahead. Our current strategic plan makes these goals our chief priority.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Hill Country Casa Inc
Board of directorsas of 12/08/2022
Mr. Charlie Wetherbee
Brenda Hughes
Kerr County
Melinda Huff
Kendall County
Kathy Simmons
Kerr County
Ann Moss
Kerr County
Elizabeth Sheehan
Kerr County
Jessica Russell
Kerr County
Chris Meriwether
Kerr County
Rikki Tai
Gillespie County
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/14/2019GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.