Multicultural Advocacy Program (MAP)
To make a CASA youth referral, please click here
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History:
CASA DC began serving the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) population in January of 2015. The CASA DC Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program (URM Program) was started in the same year CASA DC continued to serve URM youth as a special population and worked diligently to learn more about the needs of the URM population through meetings with Magistrate Judge Julie Breslow, former and current CASA volunteers, and URM service providers.
In 2019 CASA DC focused on reevaluating the URM program, increasing URM referrals, building relationships with our strategic partners, increasing understanding of how to better support URM youth, and strengthening training and education for both staff and volunteers. Based on that reevaluation, CASA DC determined that continuing the URM Program in its original form would not be in the best interest of the organization due to minimal capacity for referrals and limited population scope, and ceased operations as a distinct program. CASA DC continued to serve URM youth and worked diligently to learn more about the needs of the URM population.
The URM Program was reimagined in early 2020 and research and development have created a brand new service model. Since 2020, MAP has served over 40 youth and families.
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Who We Serve:
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Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM)
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Migrant Youth (Youth born outside of the United States of America)
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First and Second-Generation Immigrants
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Foster care youth from multicultural families
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Foster care youth whose primary or secondary language is a language other than English
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Foster care youth who have parents whose primary language is a language other than English
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Mission:
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The mission of MAP is to match unaccompanied refugee minors, immigrant-origin youth, and children from culturally diverse backgrounds with a supportive and culturally responsive CASA volunteer who can address their cultural, economic, academic, health & wellness, and life skills related needs to achieve economic and social self-sufficiency.
We strive to meet the needs of our young people through advocacy, therapeutic support, and fostering connections within their identified communities through goal completion, educational and employment support, placement stability support, volunteer education & retention, and intentional transition planning.
MAP will leverage community resources to recognize, champion, and advocate for each youth’s culturally specific needs and desires to promote personal, familial, and social health/wellness, community connections, and long-term stability.
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