Why?  For children removed from unsafe homes, it can take up to a year and sometimes years for the authorities to find a permanent, safe, and loving environment.  Vulnerable children carry the scars of their abuse as the long and difficult process of permanency is endured.
 
Fortunately, in Collin County, a CASA Advocate is appointed as guardian ad litem for every child who has endured abuse so severe that he or she is removed from their unsafe home.  Highly trained CASA volunteers step in to provide a voice for a lost and hurt child.

What impact does an Advocate from CASA of Collin County provide for a vulnerable child right here in our community?

Olivia (not her real name) was removed from her father's custody when she was 10. Living in McKinney, she was found with visible marks from routine beatings that were at the hands of her father and stepmother. Olivia's CASA volunteer learned that despite her Hispanic heritage, Olivia was unable to speak Spanish, had no idea of the whereabouts of her birth mother, or even if she was still alive. Participating in mediation and testifying in court proceedings, the CASA Casework Supervisor and Volunteer were disturbed by the lack of information about her birth mother. They contacted the Mexican authorities and were able to discover that Olivia was abducted by her father at age 3 and her mother had been searching for her for 7 years. CASA played a key role in reuniting Olivia with her mother and ending the desperate search for a lost child. No longer lost...reunited with her loving mother!
 

Shannon and Jeremy (not their real names), ages 5 and 7, were often left unattended at home, due to parents with severe drug addiction. Upon entering the foster care system, they were placed in a home in Tarrant County. The CASA Casework Supervisor and Volunteer visited the children at the foster home. They found the bed linens stripped from the beds, toys locked in a cabinet, and other indications of neglect at the foster home. They asked the children to show them which bed was their own and they pointed to the floor. Immediately, CASA contacted the authorities and the children were removed from the unsuitable environment within 2 hours. The CASA staff and volunteer made sure the next foster placement was a safe and loving environment, and worked to ensure Shannon and Jeremy received the care they deserved until a permanent home was found.

In 2008, it cost $1,199.63 to provide a child a trained CASA Advocate for the entire year.

Help us support vulnerable child abuse victims in Collin County and ensure their voice is heard as they search for a safe, loving and forever home! They need your help! Please give generously!

Sincerely,