On June 21st and 22nd, over 200 Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers from across this state gathered at the Central PA College Conference Center for the first annual PA CASA state volunteer training conference. Our CASA volunteers shared experiences, heard testimony from former foster youth and received training from experts across the state in a variety of topics. The conference was a wonderful opportunity for instruction and inspiration, ensuring that everyone involved in CASA is better able to serve children who have been abused and neglected. It was an exciting two days!
CASA advocacy has grown to include nearly 800 citizen volunteers throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, presently serving courts in 21 counties. CASA of Allegheny County has 210 volunteers. Yet too many children are waiting. In Pennsylvania, there are over 18,000 children in the foster care system on any given day. Over 1,900 of those children are in Allegheny County alone. CASA can only continue to serve these vulnerable children with the ongoing help and involvement of citizens like Together We Flourish’s readers.
Because every child deserves a permanent family CASA volunteers dedicate their time to ensure that vulnerable children do not languish in the foster care system. The dedicated child welfare caseworker may have 60 or more children on their caseload, while a CASA volunteer is assigned to one child or a sibling group. A CASA serves as an officer of the court and will stay with their child throughout the time he or she is in foster care, often being the only constant the child may know as they change homes, schools and caseworkers. Research indicates that children assigned a CASA volunteer are far more likely to get the services they need, and when their case closes, it is twice as likely to remain closed. The PA Partnership for Children report that more than 25% of children without a CASA are returning to the system within 12 months. As a taxpayer, we must recognize that CASA is not only a vital resource for our children; it is a financial solution for our overburdened communities.
There are many ways to help these children in Allegheny County. Become a CASA volunteer, support CASA of Allegheny County events like the Steelers Tailgate Party on October 28 or simply offer your skills in support of a CASA office. For more information on how to help CASA help kids, please go to PA CASA.org or pgh-casa.org. Thank you,
