CASA Child Advocates Program Updates | April 2021
By Marilyn McQueeney, CASA Child Advocates Program Director
Happy Spring to you all!
CASA continues to move forward in 2021. . .
We are seeing double the number of children coming into care compared to this time last year. In the past six months, 160 children have come into care. In spite of all the ups and downs of the previous 12 months, we are still serving every child in care in Montgomery County. Our outstanding Advocates continue to step up and Advocate for every single child.
It was exciting to see so many of you at the CASA Speaks for Kids Benefit Concert in March. How nice it was to be outside and enjoying a wonderful evening together. It was truly a night to remember, and I am so grateful that so many of you were able to attend.
Reunification on the Rise
I am amazed at how CASA has not skipped a beat during this pandemic and has moved forward in all aspects of our program. None of this would be possible without each of you and the work you do for the children and their families. We are continuing to see the number of children reunified with their parents or placed with relatives increasing. The work of family engagement is moving forward in an impactful way as we see these positive outcomes. The awareness of trauma and the effect it has on the children and their families is also increasing which helps to bring about better outcomes for the families.
Advocate Training
We have a number of outstanding virtual trainings available to you over the next few months that cover a variety of topics to assist you in your advocacy. Please take time to look over the training newsletter or check out the calendar and sign up for the ones that interest you. I also encourage you to join me every other Thursday at 2PM for a virtual Advocate Gathering. I, along with other members of the program staff, host this time to give Advocates the opportunity to connect, ask questions, express struggles or concerns in your advocacy, and learn about new topics. I hope I will see you soon at the next gathering.