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Why We Help?

Every child deserves a safe, loving, and permanent home. Yet, the reality for many children is far from this ideal.

  • In 2012, 1,640 children lost their lives due to abuse or neglect—nearly 70% of those children were under the age of three.
  • More than 700,000 children experience abuse or neglect each year.
  • Child Protective Services received 3.4 million referrals involving the alleged maltreatment of 6.3 million children in a single year.

Children in foster care face additional challenges:

  • The average child spends 21 months in foster care and is uprooted and moved at least three times, often separated from siblings.

Since its founding in 1977, CASA for Children has been a beacon of hope, ensuring over 2,000,000 children transition into safe, permanent homes.

This is why we help—because every child deserves a chance to thrive, to feel safe, and to grow surrounded by love and stability. Together, we can make a difference.


The Impact of a CASA Volunteer

Research shows that children with a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) have significantly better outcomes compared to those without:

  • Better Permanency Outcomes: Children with a CASA are more likely to find permanent homes than those without.
  • Reduced Re-Entry into the System: More than 90% of children with CASA volunteers never re-enter the foster care system.
  • Increased Adoption Rates: They are more likely to be adopted instead of lingering in long-term foster care.
  • Academic Success: CASA children are more likely to succeed in school.
  • Permanency Planning: Children with a CASA are more likely to have a concrete plan for permanency, particularly children of color.

CASA volunteers ensure children don’t get “forgotten” in the foster care system:

  • They advocate for access to necessary services and medications.
  • They reduce the likelihood of children returning to court or re-entering the system.

In 2013, an estimated 238,000 children were served by local CASA/GAL programs, helping to stop the cycle of abuse and neglect and giving children the opportunity to thrive.

With CASA, children find hope, stability, and a brighter future.


Your Support Changes Lives

Your tax-deductible donations make it possible to train and support local volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected children in court. These volunteers ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable children are heard and their best interests are prioritized.

Nationally, federal funding for CASA programs covers only a portion of the resources needed. The rest depends on the generosity of individuals like you.

With a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) or Guardian ad Litem (GAL) dedicated to their case, children in the foster care system have someone in their corner—fighting for their safety, stability, and well-being.

Your contribution ensures that more children have the opportunity to thrive in a safe, loving, and permanent home. Together, we can create brighter futures for those who need it most.

 Thank you for making a difference!



Watch our 25 in 25 Campaign!


"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."

-Vincent Van Gogh

Our advocate Nick!

6 Activities You Can Do to Feel Like a Kid Again

There’s a lot of great things that come with adulthood: making your own decisions, staying up whenever you want, having your own money… the list goes on. Still, there are some not-so-great things that come with being an adult: paying bills, having to go to work, not having someone to take care of you when you’re sick, etc. 

The truth is sometimes we all need to feel like a kid again. If you’re tired of adulthood and want to rewind the clock, check out these six activities to relive those childhood memories.

 

1. Have a sleepover. 

Nothing’s better than a good old fashioned sleepover, especially when you're the adult that determines bedtime. So send the kids to stay with Grandma and Grandpa for a weekend and invite a friend or two over for a sleepover. Stay up late, watch scary movies and eat an exuberant amount of food. Just like the good ol’ days!

 

2. Break into song.

Remember when you were little and would sing whenever, wherever? Then adulthood hit and you realized that wasn’t “appropriate.” Take a step back again and try it out. Sing along to the radio, your favorite song or even make it up as you go whenever you feel it. The shower is great for acapella moments, but your talent is good enough to share with the whole world. Work it!

 

3. Play in puddles.

Kids love to play, regardless of weather conditions. But adults… sometimes we’re a little iffy. Throw that out the window and go enjoy yourself in the great outdoors. Splash in mud puddles, roll down grassy hills, run through the rain and get sweaty and dirty as you’re doing all of it. You can even involve your kiddos in this one. If they see you outside having a blast, they’ll be sure to join. Besides, dirty clothes are what washing machines are made for.

 

4. Go on a bike ride.

Do you recall the last time you went on a bike ride just for the fun of it? Chances are it was a while ago. Embrace Mother Nature, feel the wind on your face and go exploring all from the comfort of your bicycle seat. Take your significant other or your children with you for a fun and physical outing. If you really want to get imaginative, pack a picnic lunch for you and your family or friends and go for a classic picnic-in-the-park bike ride.

 

5. Color outside the lines.

There are few things more fun, satisfying and relaxing than spending some time coloring in a coloring book. Nowadays, there are countless adult coloring books available, but don’t be afraid to buy a good ol’ fashioned children’s coloring book as well. Whether it’s with crayons, colored pencils, markers or even on a touchscreen tablet, coloring helps you relive your childhood while also embracing your adulthood. Except now you’re better at staying inside the lines!

 

6. Dance like nobody’s watching.

Kids have no shame when it comes to dancing, and neither should you. Take back your childhood by dancing like nobody’s watching. Whether it’s in the shower, at home in the kitchen or out at the grocery store when you hear your jam come on, get down with your bad self. Not only will you have more fun, but you undoubtedly will bring joy to someone else’s day as well.

Adulthood is great, but sometimes we just need to relive our childhood. Take time to feel that old uninhibited joy and imagination by trying out these activities. You’ll have more fun and your kids will too when you feel like a kid again. Then enjoy some perks of adulthood again and go out for coffee or wine at your favorite cafe or restaurant, because life is all about balance.

Our Vision: Seeing Every Child in a Safe, Permanent Home

  • CASA Volunteers help change children's lives every day.

    76,756

  • Abused and neglected children had a CASA volunteer speaking up for their best interest in the last year.

    250, 323

  • Children are waiting for a volunteer empowered to find them a safe, loving, permanent home.

    452,000

  • Children in safer homes since 1977.

    2 Million

  • Ryan Dollinger
    Ryan Dollinger

    I would have been lost in foster care without my CASA volunteer.

Thank you to our generous sponsors:

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