The sole mission of Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, of Lancaster and Lebanon Counties is to protect the most vulnerable among us: abused and neglected children.
As you may have realized, across counties in central Pennsylvania and here in Lancaster County, there continues to be confusion surrounding our name, CASA. There is another organization that uses the name CASA, but its mission — working for just policies for the Latino and immigrant community — is not that of the Court Appointed Special Advocate network.
Our mission, from which we will not waver, is to advocate for the most vulnerable youth involved in the foster care and court systems.
Every year in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, hundreds of children are victims of abuse or neglect, and more than 400 are in out-of-home placement. Court Appointed Special Advocates of Lancaster and Lebanon Counties is a 501(c)(3), nonpartisan, nonprofit, organization whose mission is to provide individual best-interest child advocacy. The ultimate goal is facilitating a safe, permanent and nurturing home for every child to whom a Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer is appointed.
I am proud of the organization that we have built in Lancaster County since we began operations nearly 15 years ago. It is our brand that has inspired hundreds of community members to get involved as Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteers and donors. It is the understanding of our mission that has driven Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteers to complete our screening and in-depth training program and dedicate hundreds of hours to a child and family in our community — ensuring that a child’s best interest is held paramount. It is our mission that ties us to Pennsylvania CASA, our state association, and the many local programs using the same model to serve youth in counties across the commonwealth. It is in collaboration with our network that we are working to not only positively impact the lives of individual children, but to effect change across the child welfare system in Pennsylvania.
Since Court Appointed Special Advocates was appointed to our first case in Lancaster County in January of 2010, our volunteers have advocated for more than 1,100 children. Today, our Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteers are advocating for 164 children — children who entered the child welfare system for a number of reasons, ranging from abuse and neglect to other extraordinarily challenging life circumstances and traumas. As you might imagine, these children often don’t have a trusted adult in their corner to protect them or to look out for their best interests as they navigate their new overwhelming and confusing circumstances. Needless to say, these children, being children, are often not afforded a meaningful way to advocate for themselves. And too often, this means that their individual needs are overlooked or fall through the gaps in the safety net that the child welfare system is meant to provide.
When a child in foster care has a Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer serving as a steady and caring adult presence in his or her life, the impact is tremendous — the average length of service of our volunteers is 49 months. That means that while other adults are moving in and out of a child’s already tumultuous life, a Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer is a consistent and compassionate presence advocating in court and in the community for each child’s best interest. Volunteers, once appointed by the court, visit with their Court Appointed Special Advocates child regularly, and take the time to get to know the child’s foster parents and biological family. In addition, volunteers gather medical and educational information, attending all child-related appointments and meetings as necessary. All of this information is synthesized into a report and submitted to the court in advance of each hearing.
Our work is critical. Data from studies cited on the National Court Appointed Special Advocates/Guardians ad Litem website shows that children assigned a Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer are substantially less likely to spend time in long-term foster care and are less likely to reenter the child welfare system. Fewer than 3.02% of children assigned a Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer reentered foster care in 2022, thereby reducing significant expenditures and saving taxpayer dollars — reentry rates are significantly higher in the general foster care population.
Pennsylvania CASA is thankful to the state General Assembly and the governor’s office for funding to expand and support this critical advocacy program so we can continue our crucial work. Our highly trained and supported volunteers improve outcomes in the child welfare system but we only have the resources to serve 9% of eligible children. The commonwealth funded Pennsylvania CASA for the first time in 2022. Until that point, Pennsylvania was one of only three states in the nation that did not provide support to its statewide CASA association. While we applaud state legislators for taking this big step in 2022, keep in mind that Court Appointed Special Advocates of Lancaster and Lebanon Counties has been funded solely by grants, donations and special events since 2009.
As we approach our 15th anniversary, I want to reassure our volunteer advocates, donors, friends and stakeholders that CASA of Lancaster and Lebanon Counties has not changed its tactics, focus or nonpartisan approach. We are more committed than ever to providing a volunteer for every child in need.
Learn more about the work our Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteers are doing and explore opportunities to get involved at casalancleb.org or call 717-208-3280.
