What Juneteenth Means to CASA

Last year Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County joined many businesses that chose to close in observance of Juneteenth in response to the convergence of the reckoning with institutionalized racism and violence, the pandemic, and economic unrest; all of which disproportionately effect communities of color. We have since added Juneteenth to our list of annual paid holidays and are pleased to see the Federal government moving towards making it a federal holiday.

We made this choice for several reasons and want to share why Juneteenth matters to CASA.

  • Juneteenth is an important celebration (read here for history of Juneteenth) of the end of slavery that we want to honor
  • Juneteenth is a reminder that the struggle for freedom is far from over. The trauma of slavery has not been erased from our country and it is imperative that we understand our country’s complicated history to work together to achieve an equitable future.
  • On the heels of Mental Health Awareness Month and during PTSD awareness month, we must recognize the impact that racism and violence have on the mental health Black Americans, including youth in foster care.
  • Ongoing institutionalized racism is evident in the many ways in which the child welfare system disproportionately impacts Black families. As an organization that partners with the child welfare system, it is CASA’s responsibility to recognize and disrupt bias and advocate for culturally appropriate services.

Juneteenth is a time of joy and celebration while also a time to remember the loss and trauma caused by slavery and its ongoing impact. Much like social justice and advocacy were required to achieve the end of slavery, we must continue to use those tools to ensure the rights of the children and families we serve.

 

Events and activities https://pgparks.com/juneteenth

Resources and activities presented by the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System https://www.pgcmls.info/juneteenth

National Harbor Concert honoring Juneteenth https://www.bsomusic.org/gala-celebration/

History https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html

Nonprofit Prince George’s Statement https://www.nonprofitpgc.org/recognition-of-juneteenth

Anti-Racism Resources https://marylandcasa.org/we-stand-with-you-against-racial-violence/

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CASA Volunteer Interviewed in Podcast

Volunteer Advocate Tomika Holmes recently joined former CASA/Prince George’s County Board Member Dan Klotz on his ‘Surviving’ podcast. In the episode, Tomika shares her experiences in the foster care system and what continues to motivate her to show up for youth in care. Tomika first volunteered with CASA in 2008 and Dan served two terms on CASA’s Board of Directors. Listen to their conversation in this incredibly moving episode here: https://lnkd.in/gfGmWXE

About “Surviving”

After getting through a recurrence of lymphoma that damaged the base of his spine, Dan Klotz is left pondering the concept of survival and how it’s not as easy as it seems. In a series of interviews with people who have experienced all kinds of life-changing disease and trauma, he explores what it means to survive and perhaps, at some point, live happily ever after.

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CASA/Prince George’s Named ‘One of the Best’ Nonprofits by the Catalogue for Philanthropy

Once again, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County is thrilled to be selected as one of the best local nonprofits by the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington.

The Catalogue for Philanthropy is the region’s only locally-focused guide to giving and volunteering aimed at creating visibility and growth for local nonprofits that have positive impact for our community. As a selected nonprofit, we have been vetted by 170+ local experts who have agreed that our work is creating real and meaningful impact for our youth in foster care & community at large.

To learn more about the Catalogue for Philanthropy, check out our profile on their page here and be on the lookout for the print edition coming later in the year.

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FY20 Annual Report

Between July 2019 and June 2020 Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County served over 200 youth in foster care despite the global pandemic. Our volunteers & staff are proud of the shifts we made to advocate for the best interest youth in care throughout the pandemic. Read more about our accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2020 in our Annual Report.

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CASA Partners with Tech-based Nonprofit, Ruby for Good, to Launch New Volunteer Management System

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County has launched its first-ever online volunteer management system with the help of Ruby for Good, a technology-based philanthropy that creates free software solutions for nonprofits serving critical missions. The open-sourced app, called CASA Volunteer Tracking, seeks to transform the volunteer-hour tracking process by eliminating the additional hassle of physical paper logs and manual data entry.

CASA, a nonprofit that matches children in the foster care system to trained volunteer advocates, has been renowned for its nearly twenty-year legacy of service and family empowerment within Prince George’s County.

CASA Volunteer Tracking is a project initiated by one of CASA’s very own former volunteers, Polly Schandorf. Drawing from her own experience with CASA as reason to return with this new project, Schandorf says, “It’s always been in my heart that I wanted to come back and help more children. And now, instead of being able to be a CASA volunteer for one child, I’m able to help supervisors manage volunteers better so that we have the capacity to help even more kids.”

From humble beginnings last March as a wish for more efficiency in the volunteer tracking system to an eight month-long endeavor that has since gained over 60 contributors from across the world, Ruby for Good has amassed a powerful force that empowers CASA to invest more time in serving youth on the ground and less time in administrative data entry.

“Not everybody can be a CASA volunteer, but everybody can make a difference. We are grateful to Ruby for Good for their partnership and diligent work with CASA to support our youth in a way that makes all our work easier,” says CASA Executive Director, Ann Marie Binsner.

The CASA Volunteer Tracking app is undergoing continual improvements with bug fixes and new features added weekly. If you’re a volunteer with CASA/Prince George’s County, help us streamline this new management system by reaching out to CASA Program Manager, Sarah Bosken (sbosken@pgcasa.org) and testing out this new platform with us.

Ruby for Good is also looking for other CASA programs to help them build more features! If any other CASAs are in need of software for volunteer tracking, please reach out to Polly Schandorf (polly@rubyforgood.org) or see the Ruby for Good website at rubyforgood.org to get involved.

 

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CASA Introduces New Board President, Bruce D. Edwards, Esq.

image of new Board President

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County is proud to announce the election of Bruce D. Edwards, Esq., as the newest President of its Board of Directors. A family attorney and exemplary community member of Prince George’s County, Edwards brings a legacy of service in child welfare and advocacy to the presidency.

In addition to his leadership as a CASA Board member, Edwards is an adjunct professor with Anne Arundel Community College and teaches courses on career readiness to inmate students at the Dorsey Run Correctional Institute in Jessup, MD. When he’s not teaching or working as an attorney, Edwards serves as a Commissioner with the Prince George’s County Commission on Fathers, Men, and Boys and leads a youth male mentorship program with Kappa Alpha Psi’s Kappa League.

Driven by his passion to build positive male influences for young men in Prince George’s County, Edwards came to CASA in 2013 with a personal mission to increase male presence in the child welfare system. “Having positive male representation is something many youths in this system are deprived of. That’s something that pushed me to say, ‘I have to be the change that I want to see’, and I knew I had to get involved,” he says.

Edwards accepts leadership of the Board of Directors at a critical moment for CASA. As a rapidly expanding nonprofit with the goal to advocate for all children in the county’s foster care system, CASA welcomes Edwards to the role as he works with the Board to advance the organization’s strategic plans.

Edwards’ election is a clear reflection of CASA’s current stage of growth: eager to take on the newest challenges presented by the pandemic where CASA’s mission and service is needed the most. Despite the uncertainty that many in the nonprofit sector currently face in their transitions to remote operations, Edwards’ vision for CASA entails clear advances in development, fundraising campaigns, and community engagement.

“One thing I really look forward to doing collectively with the Board is making this virtual format work for us and using this opportunity to collectively increase our visibility [and] funding. There’s so much room for us to be creative with our growth,” he says.

“Bruce’s extensive experience as a family attorney, community mentor, and CASA Board Member allows him to see firsthand the importance of CASA’s mission and the children we serve,” says CASA Executive Director, Ann Marie Binsner. “We are excited to move forward with his leadership as CASA continues to work towards our goal of serving all children in the foster care system.”

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Executive Director Discusses Challenges to Transition Aged Youth in Podcast

CASA/Prince George’s County’s Executive Director, Ann Marie Binsner, was recently featured on the Aging Out Institute’s podcast. In the episode, Ann Marie and the host, Lynn Tonini discuss the challenges of preparing youth for adulthood and the role CASA volunteers play in supporting these young people.

65% of the foster youth CASA serves are older youth who are likely to age out of foster care to adulthood. In 2011 CASA created the Transition Aged Youth Program to improve outcomes for youth preparing for emancipation, particularly ensuring stable housing. Since the institution of the program, CASA has expanded to include a Job Readiness Initiative aimed at ensuring youth are not only employed but have a sustainable career path before aging out of foster care.

Click here to listen to the full episode. 

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CASA Executive Director Named “Champion for Children”

As the Child Welfare League of America celebrates its 100th anniversary, they have named CASA/Prince George’s County’s Executive Director, Ann Marie Foley Binsner, a “Champion for Children.” The Child Welfare League of America is a coalition of partners across the country that work together to protect vulnerable children and families. Champions for Children were nominated by their peers and selected to highlight their contributions to the field of child welfare. The CWLA says they are grateful to Ann Marie and the other nominees for  their role ” in contributing to our shared goals of improving outcomes for children, youth, and families and helping them all to succeed and flourish.”

To read the full announcement, go to the CWLA’s anniversary site.

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CASA Stands with You

We are hurting right now. During a time of a historic pandemic that has resulted in death, unemployment and suffering, which disproportionately effects African-Americans, there is even more trauma.

The senseless murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others highlight the injustices that were present before COVID, persist during lockdown, and will continue to plague our nation even after a vaccine is developed. Collectively as a community, we are watching the response to pain as many rise up against the oppression that has existed against African-American people for the entire history of our country.

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County recognizes our role in addressing systemic racism by tackling disproportionality and disparity in our child welfare system. This has always been and will continue to be integral to our mission. We continue to stand in unequivocal opposition to racism, bias and prejudice in all forms.

Today, we pause to check in with our CASA community and recognize that we are hurt, tired and grieving. Please know that we at CASA are here to support you. We want our community to be one of support to each other during these difficult times. Please reach out to us for support, or even just to talk and grieve together.

The unprecedented national crisis can feel overwhelming and lonely, particularly when coupled with this moment of reckoning with the ever-present inequalities in our society. But you are not alone.
CASA stands with you.

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Let’s Help Pandemic’s Youngest Victims

Each day, the coronavirus pandemic puts more youth at risk of abuse and neglect, making them the youngest victims of America’s worst health crisis in a century.

This month is National Foster Care Month, a time to look again at the state of youth and recognize we must do more.

The pandemic has hurt youth on several fronts. It’s taken the lives of parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts – shredding youth’s most basic safety net- family. And the shutting down of all but essential services has pushed the jobless rate toward Great Depression levels – increasing poverty, homelessness, and hunger. This endangers all Americans, particularly the most vulnerable, the young.

The closing of schools alone has cost child-welfare agencies some of its best “eyes and ears,” those of teachers. In the first two weeks of April, calls across Maryland of suspected abuse and neglect to Child Protective Services dropped nearly 70 percent, compared to the same period last year. The decline, to 320 from 958, is a troubling sign that many cases are going unreported.

African Americans are disproportionately represented in foster care, and appear to be among the hardest hit in the pandemic. The rate of post-traumatic stress disorder among foster youth is double that of U.S. combat veterans. The pandemic is creating more stress as well as the economic and social climate that pushes youth into foster care.

Please consider volunteering to become one of our CASAs. Much of a CASA’s work during the pandemic is being done remotely, via phone or perhaps video chat, to guard against exposure to the virus.

Or you could make a financial contribution to help pay for the increased demands on our operation as we work to meet the growing needs of youth.

In recent months, we have been busy on several fronts. For example, we assisted a grandmother caring for her five grandchildren, so she could keep her grandchildren and not turn them over to foster care, and one of our CASAs helped a foster youth, who is a young mother, obtain diapers for her baby. Another CASA secured protective masks for a foster youth so he could accept a job at a hardware store.

With more than 430,000 children in the United States already in foster care – including upwards of 4,000 in Maryland, and about 500 in Prince George’s County – we must do more.

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About us

Change a Child’s Story

Children in foster care who have aCASA volunteer are more likely to succeed in school and adjust to change. And they’re half as likely to re-enter the foster care system later. By getting involved with CASA, you can make all the difference for a child who has experienced abuse or neglect in you community. Get involved, and change a child’s story.

Contact

Phone : (301) 209-0491
Email: staff@pgcasa.org

Address

6811 Kenilworth Avenue
Suite 402 Riverdale,
MD 20737
United States

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