Court Appointed Special Advocates First Judicial District

Highlights of fiscal year 2022-2023 include:-110 foster children in 77 cases had a casa advocate, representing 94% of the children in foster care in our district.-17 children had an abrigo advocate, for a total of 127 children assigned casa First advocates-even if they were on our waiting list, casa First monitored every child welfare case, attended every hearing, and filled out an application for cvrc funding for each child in foster care. -48 children in 42 child welfare cases saw their case close: 7 were reunited with their families, 26 children were adopted, 2 aged out of care, 10 children were placed with a permanent guardian, and 3 had their case dismissed.-casa volunteer Advocates wrote and filed 133 Court reports and contributed over 3800 hours -we held two 30-hour new casa training classes and trained 18 new casa and abrigo Advocates. -in addition to 60 hours of new casa volunteer advocate trainings we held, and the multiple state and local trainings offered to our volunteers, casa First organized and provided over 100 hours of training.outcomes results from our annual casa advocate volunteer survey-95% responded that their child was safer by virtue of them being assigned as a casa advocate on the case:-96% responded that their child in care had a dedicated and caring adult in their life:-95% advocated for the educational and developmental needs of their child:-84% of our casas advocated for the mental health needs of their child:

The casa First abrigo Advocates programcasa First broadened its model and services through their newly launched abrigo Advocates program. Abrigo is the spanish term meaning coat, refuge, or protection "where one is sheltered from elements or harm". The abrigo Advocates program was developed to help children and youth who have been impacted by trauma and or are system involved, by matching them with a caring and dedicated advocate who can create a supportive relationship with them, and assist them to find the resources and services they need, participate in community service, assist with practical life functions, and more. We strive to provide youth and their families with the skills necessary to build positive connections in the community and have stability. We know that the earlier an intervention is, the more likely the trajectory of a child or youth's future is to be successful. Abrigos will focus on diversion and prevention.this program provides a child or youth with a volunteer advocate that can be an emotional and practical support and assist with their needs as they navigate different systems they may be involved in. Our goal is to meet them where they are and guide them accordingly.