Do you remember how spring felt as a child? It probably involved extracurricular sports with friends, hiking, riding bikes, even flying kites?
What if we told you that all of these activities are activities that some of our foster children experienced with their CASA volunteers for the FIRST time?
The truth is, the things that most kids experience special opportunities for foster kids. These opportunities most often made possible by our CASA volunteers... ordinary people who play extraordinary roles in the lives of foster children.
Yolo County CASA was established in 1995 by concerned community members who recognized that children in the dependency/foster care system were in dire need of independent advocacy. This group recognized that in order to have a positive impact on the lives of traumatized children and their families, the community must be engaged in advocating for our most vulnerable members.
Yolo County CASA joined a larger movement that started in Washington State by Judge David W. Soukup and citizen volunteers to help gather and provide additional information about how children in the foster care system were faring, while also providing a stable, healthy consistent adult for each child in the system. Today, over 950 CASA programs serve children in the foster care system throughout the country.
Our CASA volunteers advocate for abused and neglected children in the foster system to ensure their voices are heard and their needs are met. We champion, without compromise, for the best interest of every Yolo County foster child.
We are always looking for new volunteers to become child advocates... as hundreds of children in Yolo County's foster care system do not have a CASA volunteer. Someday, we hope no foster child goes without one.
We are always seeking new funding sources/donations to
1) Help us serve our youth and current volunteers.
2) Grow our capacity to recruit and retain CASA volunteers in order to serve those children who do not have one yet.
Gift cards for gasoline -- over 50% of the Yolo County's children in foster care are placed in homes outside Yolo County. Our volunteers drive their own automobiles at their own expense to see them. As often as we can, CASA staff will gift a $25 gas card to our volunteers as a small token of appreciation for the effort and expense that goes into their advocacy.
Gift cards -- any kind. Children in the foster care system often find that nearly every decision is made for them -- where they live, where they attend school, what they eat, when they can see their parents, even what clothes they have to wear. Having a CASA visiting on a regular basis can provide the youth with an opportunity to make their own decisions -- where they will go during the visit, what they will eat, how they will spend their time together. Therefore, gift cards that the CASA and youth can use during their time together can make this time together extra special. We love to share gift cards for restaurants, movies, or stores like Target where the CASA can give their youth an experience that they might not otherwise have had.
Our board is very active and takes on a large chunk of fundraising responsibilities. We are looking for two or three committed individuals who are willing to roll up their sleeves and join us.
Yolo County CASA is an Equal Opportunity organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of ancestry, race, color, religion (includes religious dress and grooming), sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability (physical and mental including HIV and AIDS), genetic information, military or veteran status, marital status or sexual orientation or request for FMLA.
Organization name
Yolo County CASA
1995
Tax id (EIN)
68-0362495
Mission Category
Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy
Operating Budget
$500,001-$1 million
Organization Need
Volunteers, Funding: Unrestricted, Board Members, In-Kind Donations
Demographics Served
Youth & Children
Local Counties Served
Yolo
Address
724 Main St. Suite 101Yolo, CA, US