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What's New at Alaska CASA |
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2007 State
Conference
REGISTER NOW!
Time to
register
for the 2007 Alaska
CASA/GAL Conference September 14-15th, celebrating the 20th
Anniversary of CASA in Alaska!
Read more.
BACK TO SCHOOL =
HUGSS
The HUGSS (Helping Us Give School Supplies & Coats for Kids) is in
full swing in Anchorage. If you would like to
give to the project,
volunteer your time or
refer a family now is the
time. Supplies will be distributed August 9th and 10th.
Valley CASA
Recruiting Now!
Are you interested in a challenging
and rewarding volunteer opportunity? Do you want to serve vulnerable
children in your community? If so, please consider becoming a
CASA volunteer. The Valley CASA program is
now recruiting for training that begins
August 7th. Contact Cecily
(746-0547) for more information.
ALASKA CASA PARTNERS WITH NATIVE COMMUNITY TO RECRUIT
VOLUNTEERS
In a unique partnership, the Alaska CASA program is
working closely with leaders in the Native community to
recruit more Native CASA volunteers. Kay Wallis, Alaska
CASA Diversity Specialist, is coordinating the project.
The first group of Native CASA
volunteers trained as part of this project were
sworn in on March 24th.
Alaska Native children comprise some 60% of the children
in state custody, yet only a small percentage of CASA
volunteers are of Alaska Native heritage. This project
seeks to bridge that gap through targeted recruitment
and improvements to training and supervision in order to
attract and retain Native volunteers.
For more information email
Kay Wallis or call her at
632-1033.
DONATE ONLINE!
Supporting CASAs for Children is easier than ever. You
may donate online through Click & Pledge. The process is
very easy, and takes just a few minutes to complete. You
will then receive an email receipt of your donation.
For more information on CASAs for Children, use the
navigation button (left) or click
here.
To contribute to CASAs for Children using a credit card, please
click on the icon to go to a secure web page:
 Click on the icon to make a pledge!
(If this link doesn't work, please go to the
CASAs for Children
page)
CASA CACHE AVAILABLE ONLINE
Read the Summer
2007 CASA Cache newsletter online
using
Adobe Acrobat Reader,
or visit
the News and
Events page to download past issues.
Caution: may load slowly, depending on your
connectivity. |
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What is a CASA? |
Court
Appointed Special Advocates are community volunteers trained by the
Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) to speak up for abused and neglected
children in court. With the information provided by the CASA
volunteers, judges are able to make more informed decisions as to
what is best for the child.
OPA's CASA volunteers review records, gather information, and talk to
everyone involved—parents, teachers, foster parents, therapists, and
of course, the child. From this information, they present
recommendations to the judge as to what is best for the child. CASA
volunteers believe that children deserve every chance to grow up in
a safe, nurturing home. Click
here
for a more detailed volunteer job description in PDF format.
(Please be patient: it may load slowly if you use a dialup modem.)
The document is in a PDF file that you can read using Adobe Acrobat
Reader. If you don't have a copy of Acrobat Reader, you may download
a free copy by going to
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
The Office of Public Advocacy founded the Alaska CASA Program in
1987. The first CASA class had nine volunteers; we currently have
nearly 200 CASA volunteers throughout the state. But the need for
more CASA volunteers is still great.
Unfortunately, Alaska has one of the highest rates of child abuse
and neglect in the country. At any given time there are over 2000
children in state custody. Fewer than 25 percent of those children
are assigned CASA volunteers.
Click here
to go to the Office of Children's Services for more state child
abuse and neglect statistics.
Mission Statement
 The
mission of the Alaska CASA Program is to
recruit, train, supervise and support quality volunteers who reflect
the diversity of Alaska’s population. CASA volunteers speak
for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the
courts, and advocate for each child to have a safe permanent home.
© Barbara Lavallee (1991)
What does it take to be a CASA?
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A commitment to children
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Objectivity and responsibility
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Good communication skills
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Time—about 12 hours/month
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No special experience or education is required. You must be willing
to commit to stay with the case until it is resolved. Once accepted,
volunteers are trained in courtroom procedures, social services, the
child welfare system and the special needs of children who have been
abused and neglected. All CASA volunteers are supervised by OPA
guardians ad litem. Click
here
for a volunteer job description in
PDF format.
We need you
It matters to children that someone stands up for them in court to
prevent further harm. Abused and neglected children in Alaska need
caring and committed adults who are trained to
represent
their best interests in court.
Please call the Office of Public Advocacy Alaska CASA Program, (907)
269-3500, or email the Alaska CASA
volunteer coordinator
to find out more about becoming a CASA volunteer.
The CASA CACHE, our quarterly newsletter, offers more details about
our program and our volunteers. Click
here to go to the News and Events page.
Note: Barbara Lavallee's artwork is available at Artique, Ltd., 314
G Street, Anchorage, AK 99501 or at
www.artiqueltd.com |