CASA201 Centre Plaza Drive, Suite 3
Monterey Park, CA 91754-2142
David Melendez, Executive Director
Tel: (323) 526-6329
www.casala.org
Each month in Los Angeles County, more than 800 hurt, frightened and confused children enter the Dependency Court, or foster care, system. These are children who have been removed from their parent's custody because of severe abuse, neglect or abandonment. A judge must make all of the important decisions about each foster child's life, such as where the child lives, goes to school, whom the child may see, and what health care, therapy and educational services should be provided for the child. With almost 30,000 children under court jurisdiction, this is an awesome task.
CASA of Los Angeles supports volunteers who help abused and neglected foster children in court and the community. A CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate, is a trained and supervised volunteer, appointed by a judge to advocate for a foster child — a child who is under the court's protection because of abuse or neglect. A CASA volunteer provides an independent investigation of the child's circumstances for the judge. The CASA gathers information, writes reports, and makes recommendations to the judge in the child's best interests. CASA volunteers advocate for what they believe to be in the child's best interests and are responsible for:
- Investigating and reporting the circumstances of the child to the court;
- Facilitating the delivery of services ordered by the court for the child;
- Monitoring compliance with other orders of the court; and
- Advocating in court and the community for the best interests of the child.
CASA volunteers maintain regular visits with the children they serve, getting to know the child as an individual, not just a case. CASA volunteers make a difference in the lives of foster children, one child at a time, by ensuring they receive the support and help they deserve. Studies have shown that children with CASA's receive more assistance and support than children without. When a foster child has a CASA, that child has a consistent adult guaranteeing that the childŐs needs are heard and addressed in court. The CASA volunteer is often the most stable presence in a foster child's life and for many foster children, the CASA volunteer is the only person who is not paid to care for them. CASA volunteers bring the voice of the community into a child welfare system that is often overly bureaucratic and legalistic.
The Atlas Family Foundation's grant will allow CASA to develop a business plan and project model for a Zero-to-Three unit. This project model will work toward supporting the healthy development of infants and toddlers in the Dependency Court system of L.A. County.
Recent AFF grant:
$30,000, October 2009
