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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CASA AND COVID-19

Issued March 13, 2020 (updated 10/23/2020):

NOTE: If you have any questions or concerns about potential Coronavirus symptoms, please call the Prince George’s County Health Department Coronavirus hotline at (301)883-6627 during 8:00am – 8:00pm to receive updated information about the coronavirus disease. *Please contact 911 for medial emergencies only. Do not contact 911 for Coronavirus related issues.

CASA’s offices are open for staff but remain closed to visitors. Some staff will continue to work remotely. The safety of the children we serve, our volunteers and our staff is of paramount importance. We have taken prudent measures to help keep people safe, while continuing to fulfill our critical mission. We have adjusted our practices and protocols to prioritize safety while still supporting our essential advocacy for children in need. As the situation is constantly evolving, we will continue to evaluate our practices and response, and this page will be updated to reflect the most recent information for our community.

As of October 22nd, Prince George’s County remains in  Phase 2 re-opening. 

Child Visits

As of September 25, 2020 CASA moved into Phase 2 visits which allow for in-person, outdoor, masked, physically distant visits. Volunteers are only permitted to conduct Phase 2 visits after completing required policy forms and ensuring that the child and placement are comfortable with visits. Phase 2 visits are optional and are not required of volunteers who are in a high risk category or who do not feel comfortable. To protect the health of all, we continue to abide by the social distancing protocols that are unique to this crisis.

Staying in contact with children or youth during this period of social distancing is as important as ever. Children and teens are impacted by the unknown, and that fear can manifest itself in depression, anxiety or concerning behaviors. Volunteers being available to youth and their caregivers to check in, lend support, or facilitate communication continues to be a very important CASA role. In addition to or instead of Phase 2 visits, each volunteer is expected to maintain contact with their youth through frequent video chats or phone calls. See here for tips from our colleagues on how to set up video chats. Additional contact can be made by text, email or phone. Each youth is unique and your communication should be tailored to their age and willingness to “chat.”  Some volunteers should be checking in with caregivers, rather than children based on age or developmental level. Consult with your Case Supervisor to determine the level of communication that is right for you.

Case Supervisors continue to work remotely and can be reached by email are in frequent contact with volunteers to check in and offer support.

  • It is important that CASA volunteers stay in contact with their CASA youth to make sure they continue to be safe and healthy. Case supervision can occur via phone or FaceTime (or a similar video conferencing tool). Video calling is preferred to allow for visual check-ins, however phone calls are acceptable if video calling is unavailable. Texting, emailing, and chatting are acceptable ways to supplement communications.
  • Staying in contact is particularly important because schools are closed. CASA volunteers can check in with children and their families (foster and biological) in an effort to ensure that they are maintaining their physical and mental health, that they are able to complete any assigned schoolwork, that they have a sufficient supply of medication, and to support them through any anxiety that they may be feeling at this time. We are regularly checking in and making sure that older youth and families have enough groceries and other supplies.

If a youth or family member is experiencing a true mental health crisis, the following resources are available-

Call the Crisis Hotline 301-429-2185 for a mental health crisis or suicide prevention, mobile response
Call 211 for County hotline services including mental health crisis or suicide prevention (no mobile response).

Tips for volunteers-To support a child and their family, when making Phase 2 visits or check in calls, inquire about items such as:

  • Health of all household members — physical and mental
  • What is the family doing to keep busy daily?
  • Is anyone in the household working outside the home?
  • Has the child/children had any issues behaviorally since being home?
  • If the child’s visitation has been suspended due to COVID-19, have they been able to stay in touch with their parent/sibling(s) by phone?
  • Is the household having any other challenges? (Financial, shortage of food, childcare for healthcare workers/first responders, etc.)
  • Are there any medical/dental appointments for the child/children that were cancelled but could not be rescheduled? Has DSS been consulted to determine whether these appointments have been rescheduled?
  • Does the caretaker have supportive individuals they are relying on right now to stay calm and healthy?
  • For more information, please see the National CASA GAL Association’s guidelines on safely staying in contact with children during this time.

Here are some great tips and tools from our colleagues at CASA Wisconsin for setting up video calling, ideas for activities you can do virtually and guidance on advocacy at a distance.

Resources for Kids and Families

Here are some resources you can share with kids and parents/foster parents while schools are closed:

Mental health resources.

Access to free meals:

Education and Technology:

The Prince George’s County Public School System began the 2020-2021 school year with distance learning for all grades. Distance learning will continue through the first and second quarters with a goal to return to school buildings in February to begin the third quarter. Distance learning will be enhanced to include instruction five days a week and more live lessons to supplement pre-recorded lessons. Breakout sessions will support students with special needs and English language learners. All students will be equipped with their own digital device, Wi-Fi hotspots will be distributed and the County will continue to cover the cost of internet access for families in need through the Connect PGCPS initiative. Learn more.

Employment:

Legal:

  • Community Legal Services staff are working remotely to continue to assist with civil legal questions including family law, landlord & tenant, and domestic violence. Their services are available online at www.clspgc.org or via their hotline at 240-391-6370.

The fear and anxiety that many of us are feeling may only be compounded for the children and youth we serve who have also been affected by trauma, and may trigger trauma-associated thoughts/behaviors in/from the child or create additional tension in the child’s home or placement. Advocates must remember that advocacy for a child is holistic and is always much wider than the child themselves. Please be sure to make phone contact with anyone else involved with the child’s case during this time to determine what their status is currently in relation to the child in question (if services are suspended, being offered remotely, etc.) This includes contact with biological parents, if the child is not currently in their custody. Be sure to make contact and help connect them with needed resources they may be seeking – the same as you would the child’s current caretaker. CASA Volunteers can be a support to foster and biological parents during normal times, and this situation is no different. Volunteers are encouraged to check in with caretakers regularly as a form of support and to lend a listening ear. Parents may be struggling with distance learning school work, children’s lack of traditional routine or lack of services that support our children (therapy, visitations, after school activities, etc) All of these things may cause trauma reactions for children that already have a history of trauma. Caretakers and CASAs should be aware of this and have behavioral management tools to support youth if needed.

It is vital to have eyes on the children we serve in any way possible to help them stay calm and connected. Not seeing a child in these most stressful, difficult times when connections are most valuable could undo all of the work done to create a relationship. We therefore encourage the volunteer to maintain regular contact with the child either through the use of Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, or FaceTime (or other non-video tools if needed), especially where kids are in congregate care settings, such as shelters or RTCs.

Here are some tips on talking to kids about COVID-19.

Presenting in Court

The Prince George’s County Circuit Court has begun phased reopening. Hearings are occurring remotely and CASA volunteers are expected to participate. Volunteers should continue to prepare court reports for scheduled hearings and will receive further information from their Case Supervisors regarding remote hearing information or the need for rescheduling. We are in touch with the Department of Social Services and the Court and will take their lead about meetings and hearings.

Contact with Case Supervisor

  • Staff and volunteers continue to utilize telework technologies to complete work and engage in supervision. CASA staff will maintain contact with you through phone, video calls and email. Please stay in touch with your supervisor frequently and check your email messages often so we may communicate with you quickly.
  • Regular Case Supervision will proceed, as required, via phone or video call.
  • Court reports and volunteer contact logs will be especially important during this time (contact note and activity forms can be found here https://pgcasa.org/toolkit/). Unless otherwise directed by your Case Supervisor, please plan to submit your court report on the original due date.

Trainings, Events, Info Sessions & Other Group Activities

All CASA in-person trainings sessions and information sessions are cancelled until further notice.

We know that our best source of new volunteers is the recommendation of a current volunteer advocate, and we still have big goals for recruitment this year in order to help the 300 children who still need a CASA.

We want our current volunteers to know that we’re equipping ourselves to continue recruiting, and we are holding volunteer information sessions and pre-service trainings virtually through an online, video conferencing tool. We are also holding online in-service trainings.

We will continue to evaluate group activities and events for our children, volunteers and supporters. We will make timely, appropriate decisions prioritizing the safety of our community and will immediately inform all affected by any decisions to postpone or cancel activities.

Continuing Education During Social Distancing

Use this time of self-quarantine and “social distancing” to better yourself and your community by gaining additional knowledge for your CASA role. We have many resources available for virtual in-service opportunities on our In-Service Training page. We are also looking into online learning tools and will keep you posted on virtual in-service trainings we will make available.

Stay Informed

We encourage all of our volunteers, staff and supporters to stay informed and protect themselves and others. As this is ongoing, we will make any needed updates to our protocol on this

We will update this page and will inform our staff and volunteers of urgent changes via email.

You can follow local updates through the Prince George’s County Department of Health and recommendations on the Maryland State Health Department’s COVID-19 website https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/Pages/Novel-coronavirus.aspx

Prince George’s County resources and status of county agencies. 

Recommendations from the CDC can be found here. 

This is uncharted territory for our CASA program, we appreciate your support and feedback on this guidance. We greatly appreciate your attention to this information and guidelines to help protect you and the children we serve.

Questions? Call us at 301-209-0491 or email us (staff@pgcasa.org) with any questions or concerns you have may have.

Image describing protocols in place currently

 

We are grateful to the following funding partners that are making it possible to provide additional emergency support to our children and families:

Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth and Victim Services

Administrative Office of the Courts

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CASA Asks Community to #showsomelove

Workplace Campaign Season is again open! You can donate pre-tax directly from your paycheck to provide more children in foster care with the hope of a CASA volunteer who can protect their best interests. Please consider supporting CASA/Prince George’s County through the United Way, Combined Federal Campaign or Maryland Charity Campaign.

Are you ready to #showsomelove? Please designate CASA

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Executive Director Serves on Expert Panel

CASA’s Executive Director, Ann Marie Binsner, served on an expert panel regarding the challenges of foster care, hosted by the Many Hands giving circle. During the panel, Binsner and the other panelists described to the audience the reasons children come into care, the current state of foster care and the trends and challenges currently facing child welfare professionals. One of the trends impacting youth is the high number who are aging out of foster care after essentially growing up in out of home placements.

“Take a minute and think about the greatest young person you know…maybe your own child,” she challenged the audience. “Now imagine that same young person and take away all the supports. No one to make sure they achieved those major and minor milestones. Goals and dreams are never even set. Then they turn 21 and are emancipated, on their own.”

CASA recently received a grant from the Many Hands giving circle to help youth as they prepare for adulthood by improving their employment outcomes. As the panel shared, the needs of youth in foster care are intense and it is essential to walk hand in hand with them to provide the support necessary to build a path towards a successful future. 

For more information on the panel, see the full article. 

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CASA/Prince George’s County Receives Donation from the Kiwanis Club of Prince George’s County

We recently received a donation from the Kiwanis Club of Prince George’s County. Kiwanis empowers communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children. We are thankful for their recognition and support of the services we provide to youth in foster care. 

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CASA Awarded A DCTV Capacity Building Grant

We are pleased to announce a new grant partnership with DCTV! The grant will help us powerfully expand how we connect with you in the coming months. DCTV’s Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant program, which was designed with input from nonprofit leaders across the District, gives CASA/Prince George’s County a dynamic platform and new strategies to tell the story of how we support children and youth in foster care in Prince George’s County.

Created by and for Washington, DC residents, DCTV fosters a 24/7 community media forum to amplify local voices in the nation’s capital and the neighboring metropolitan area. Using the power of meaningful media to connect DC residents, DCTV cultivates a premier nonprofit platform to examine local issues and interests across the District’s three cable television providers and digital streaming channels.

As part of the grant, we will bring you quality stories and vital conversations about child welfare. We’ll also appear on DCTV’s new weekly television series, District Life, which will explore the nature of living in Washington, DC and share important and compelling stories with people all over the District.

You can find that and more dynamic programming on DCTV’s three dedicated cable channels, which broadcast on Comcast, RCN, and Verizon, as well as DCTV’s streaming platforms at dctv.org/live. We will be sure to let you know when we’re on!

To see the full list of local impact makers who received the grant, please visit dctv.org/grantawards. We are excited to join them in our collective effort to uplift communities in the DC Metro area.

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CASA Celebrates Selection as a Giant Food Community Bag Program Beneficiary

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County has been selected as a beneficiary of the Giant Food Community Bag Program for the month of September.

The Giant Food Community Bag Program, which launched in July 2019, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work.

Court Appointed Special Advocate was selected as the September beneficiary of the program by store leadership at the Giant Food located in Hyattsville, Maryland.  We will receive a $1 donation every time the $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at this location during the month of September, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag attached to the bag.

“We were honored to be selected for this new program, and particularly to be recognized by the store leadership for our impact in the child welfare community,” said Ann Marie Binsner, Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocate. “Court Appointed Special Advocate has a goal of serving every child in foster care and it is only through public-private partnerships like this that we can achieve that goal.”

For more information on the Giant Food Community Bag Program, visit giantfood.bags4mycause.com

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CASA Receives Tom Marmet Memorial Job Readiness Grant From Many Hands

CASA is proud to announce that we are the 2019 Tom Marmet Memorial Job Readiness Grant From Many Hands. CASA will utilize this grant to create a job readiness initiative to improve outcomes for older foster youth preparing to transition out of foster care to adulthood. Through one-on-one support from their CASA volunteer and being connected to appropriate workforce development and employment opportunities, CASA will help youth attain and sustain employment and build a career path that will foster a stable adulthood.

CASA staff will work with youth and their CASA volunteers to conduct assessments, develop goals around workforce development and job seeking; coordinate meetings and provide training and support volunteers to ensure goals are actualized. CASA will create and maintain relationships with stakeholders, community resource providers, potential employers and stakeholders. CASA will make connections with different opportunities based on the needs and interests of the youth to ensure tailored plans for each individual. CASA will provide support to youth ages 14-21 and ensure that their individualized plan becomes reality. To learn more about these efforts or provide workforce development or employment opportunities to youth in foster care, please contact Phil Lartigue. 

Please see the press release below for more information. 

Many Hands Inc. Announces 2019 Grantees

At its May 16th annual meeting, Many Hands members heard from four Washington, DC area nonprofit organizations which will receive grants totaling $275,500 in four focus areas: Education, Health, Housing and Job Readiness.

Many Hands is a women’s grant making organization committed to collective giving which benefits local women, children and families in need. Each year, Many Hands grants $100,000 to help one area nonprofit expand its mission. This year we awarded three additional grants of $58,500 each. Fundraising has increased steadily each year since Many Hands was founded in 2004, resulting in over $1,678,000 in grants to area nonprofits.

$100,000 Many Hands Grant

$100,000 Education Grant: Access Youth
Access Youth works to keep at-risk Washington, DC youth in school and out of the criminal justice system by reducing chronic truancy and suspensions, and promoting restorative justice as an alternative to punishment. Access Youth addresses behavioral problems and student disputes through individual mediation and by teaching life skills and conflict resolution.

Access Youth served 555 students this year at Ballou, Eastern, and Anacostia high schools in the District of Columbia, and is in the process of expanding from a one year to a four year model, and from three to ten Washington, DC schools. With the 2019 Many Hands $100,000 grant, Access Youth will develop its first peer mediation program, training student leaders to serve as peer mediators for their school communities.

$58,500 Health: The Greater DC Diaper Bank

The Greater DC Diaper Bank provides basic baby and personal hygiene products to families in need. Supplies like diapers are distributed by partner organizations and serve as gateway resources to introduce hard to reach families in DC, Maryland, and Virginia to medical, mental health, housing, and employment services. The Diaper Bank helped over 9,000 families this year, with 7.5 million diapers, 436,000 hygiene products, and 185,712 eight-ounce bottles of infant formula.

$58,500 Housing Grant: New Endeavors by Women
New Endeavors by Women runs seven transitional and permanent housing programs, providing shelter and support to approximately 200 formerly homeless women and children. Clients include seniors, HIV Positive women, survivors of domestic violence and women with mental illness and substance dependency. Along with housing, New Endeavors offers education, life skills, employment, substance abuse and counseling support.

$58,500 Job Readiness Grant: CASA/Prince George’s County
CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, of Prince George’s County partners with the juvenile court to improve the lives of abused and neglected children living in foster care. CASA serves 35% of Prince George’s County’s foster children through a network of 150 volunteers, who spend, on average, 10-15 hours per month with each child they represent, often becoming the primary source of stability in that child’s life. Within five years, CASA hopes to serve 100% of youth in the county foster care system.

Job Readiness Grant to honor Tom Marmet
This year, Many Hands will honor Tom Marmet, the son of one of our founders, Betsy Marmet, by awarding the Job Readiness grant in his memory. In October of 2018, Tom, who was only 22 years old, tragically was shot and killed by a stray bullet while driving home from his work with So Others Might Eat’s one-year Volunteer Corps. Tom was serving as a Volunteer Employment Specialist, working one-on-one with formerly homeless clients at a SOME transitional housing site and focused on job readiness. Tom was remembered by all who loved him as a loyal friend, committed to a life of service and to making the world a better place. We cannot think of a better way to remember him than to name this year’s grant the Tom Marmet Memorial Job Readiness grant.

For more information, or if your nonprofit organization is interested in applying for a Many Hands grant, please visit our website, www.manyhandsdc.org. Many Hands will not accept letters of inquiry for 2020 grants before September, 2019.

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Foster Child, Volunteers Urge Increased Funding

A former foster child who was told she wouldn’t amount to anything testified in support of increased public funding for a nonprofit that helped turn her life around – Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County.

“Being in foster care was not easy,” Victoria said in appearing before the Prince George’s County Council at a packed hearing on Monday night. “Going from foster home to foster home, feeling unloved and unwanted.”

“I was even told I would never be anything,” Victoria said. “But I proved them wrong. I’m now in my third year of college” at Bowie State, preparing for her career. “Without CASA and Ms. Charlean, I wouldn’t be half the person I am today,” she said.

Charlean, Victoria’s CASA volunteer, along with a second CASA volunteer, Elaine, and Ann Marie Binsner, Executive Director of CASA/Prince George’s County, also testified in support of the nonprofit’s request for $100,000 for the next fiscal year, up from $75,000. Overall, the council heard from scores of groups and speakers on their respective funding proposals.

CASA/Prince George’s County is part of a network of nearly 1,000 nonprofits nationwide that recruit, train and supervise CASA volunteers who serve as a voice for foster children by advocating for their medical, emotional, educational and housing needs.

CASA/Prince George’s County generally provides one volunteer per foster child. It now has enough for about a third of the county’s more than 500 foster children. Its goal is to eventually have a CASA volunteer for every foster child, noting that those with a CASA do far better than those without one.

Standing before the council, Binsner said: “support from the County Council has allowed CASA to grow and improve outcomes for some of our county’s most vulnerable youth- abused and neglected children living in foster care.”

Charlean explained that she served as Victoria’s CASA volunteer for six years, ending when the young woman turned 21 in September and aged out of foster care. “I was devoted and determined to make sure she had what she needed,” Charlean told the council. “I believed in her.”

Elaine, a CASA volunteer for three years, said her foster youth faced numerous challenges after bouncing in and out of 11 foster homes in four years. But now that she has Elaine by her side, she knows she has someone to turn to. However, Elaine said, her youth’s brother, “who desperately needs and wants a CASA, is spiraling down.” Unfortunately, she said, “We don’t have the resources and volunteers for him.”

Looking ahead, Elaine told the council, “This critical funding that CASA is seeking will help give children the voice they need to ensure they receive the services that will put them on the path toward becoming productive citizens.”

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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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