Prairie Plains CASA
Prairie
Plains CASA Mission Statement:
To provide a voice for neglected and abused children in the court system. To strive for less chaos and uncertainty in their lives while moving through the system until a safe permanent home can be provided for them in which they can grow and thrive.
Why CASA?
- CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates - trained volunteers from the community who are appointed by a judge to advocate on a one-to-one basis for a child who has been a victim of abuse or neglect.
- Children represented by a CASA advocate generally had more services ordered and provided.
- Children with CASA support tended to have slightly fewer foster home placements.
- Children with CASA support appear to be less likely to reenter the foster-care system once their cases are dismissed.
- Children who had been assigned to CASA volunteers were approximately 50 percent less likely to reenter the dependency system.
CASA in Nebraska
- As of December 2007, 425 CASA volunteers were advocating for 800 of Nebraska's abused and neglected children.
- According to the Nebraska Foster Care Review Board, in 2006, 5,186 children were in care, 37.1% of children birth to age 5, came into care in 2006 due to parental meth use.
- 36% of these children had four or more caseworkers, 19.2% had 4 or more placements.
- 19 local CASA programs are currently serving 32 counties in Nebraska.
You have the power to protect a child.
Prairie Plains CASA
P.O. Box 199 McCook, NE 69001
Att: Catherine McDowell, Director
Office: 308.340.6832
Fax:308.345.5238
e-mail:
catherinemmcdowell@msn.com
www.nationalcasa.org
www.nebraskacasa.org