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OUR
MISSION
Every year thousands of abused
and/or neglected children in the District of Columbia
are in need of safe, permanent, nurturing homes.
Too many spend years moving from one temporary home
to another with no family to call their own. They
are more likely than other children to face homelessness,
unemployment, even prison as adults. That's where
CASA for Children of DC steps in.
CASA for Children of DC was created in 2002 to make
sure that children in our nation's capital experiencing
abuse and neglect can count on caring adults in
our community to lead them to safety. CASA volunteers
are ordinary citizens with a desire to become trained
advocates for children. They are appointed by Judges
as officers of the court and represent the best
interest of each child. As a result, many of our
children are now living in homes where they are
thriving.
CASA of DC is accredited by National CASA and ranks
in the 90th percentile of National CASAs. Across
the country, there are about 74,000 CASA/GAL volunteers
who served more than 288,000 children in 2003 through
930 CASA/GAL programs in 49 states, including the
District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Since
many child victims wind up in the child welfare
system, it is important to note the child welfare
system could not afford to provide a comparable
level of advocacy through non-volunteer approaches.
By helping reduce time spent unnecessarily in foster
care, CASA can reduce child welfare costs.
 to
learn more...
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 OUR
HISTORY
Since its creation in 1977,
CASA has had a dramatic impact on the nation's court
system. Today more than 900 CASA program offices
are in operation, with trained women and men serving
as CASA volunteers across the country, including
Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. New
programs start up at a rate of two per month. Research
shows CASA programs utilize more than 42,000 volunteers,
who help an estimated 25 percent of the nation's
abused and neglected children in dependency proceedings.
In the District of Columbia, every year about 1,000
new cases of abuse and neglect are petitioned in
court (Testimony from the Director of Child and
Family Services before the City Council, 2006).
CASA of DC works with these children and youth to
ensure capable and caring adults are actively involved
in child abuse and neglect cases. |
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