This Year's Project: We Heart CASA
About Our Organization
Our mission is to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy so that every abused or neglected child can be safe, establish permanence, and have the opportunity to thrive.
Current Project: We Heart CASA
Iowa's 660 CASA (court-appointed special advocate) and FCRB (foster care review board) volunteers donated more than 220,700 miles in the course of their advocacy work with Iowa's most vulnerable children - kids in foster care placement and adjudicated in need of assistance. Some CASA volunteers drive more than an hour one way to meet with their appointed child every 30 days. This is not done out of obligation: CASA volunteers advocate for these children because they believe in a future for abused and neglected children that includes being happy and healthy - and that means showing up consistently for that child to advocate for their needs.
In Iowa, there were more than 5,000 children in paid foster care placement, and our child welfare volunteer advocates served 2,405 kids. In order to recruit and retain more volunteer advocates, Friends of Iowa CASA and ICFCRB wants to help offset the travel costs for these hardworking Iowans by donating gas cards to them, send them to advocacy conferences and conventions, and show appreciation for the selflessness they exhibit.
Your tax-deductible gift will aid us in supporting these unique volunteers who share a goal and mission to provide the best outcomes for children who experience abuse and neglect - every child and every time.
Volunteer Training and Support
Project Details
There are 367 open CINA (Children in Need of Assistance) cases in Woodbury County alone. The 37 active CASA volunteers in Woodbury County have served nearly 200 children in the past year. We would love to have more volunteers to serve more kids, and to hire a second coordinator as well!
We need funding for ongoing volunteer training, volunteer recruitment, and technology.