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If you have problems viewing this email, go to the Newsletter Page of Georgia CASA's web site to view the e-newsletter.
CASA Online Connector October 2007
Based on a highly successful pilot recruitment volunteer campaign from summer 2006, the Metro Atlanta CASA Collaborative (Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton & Gwinnett counties, along with Georgia CASA) launched its fall recruitment campaign in September. Radio ads on five stations, guest appearances on two community affairs shows, a personal referral campaign, a Metro Atlanta CASA listing on Volunteer Match and a prominent ad on Georgia CASA's home web page were all recruitment tools used in the campaign. Five metro orientation sessions will be held for potential volunteers to learn more about CASA and ways they can help. A metro training session is scheduled for November and December in Fulton County, where attendees will choose which metro program they wish to volunteer with after the training concludes. The Collaborative's goal is to dramatically increase the number of children in metro Atlanta who have a CASA volunteer, where currently only 18% of the children have access to a CASA volunteer. The Collaborative also recently participated in the Office Depot Foundation's National Backpack Program, where 750 backpacks were distributed to CASA children in the metro Atlanta area for the 2007-08 school year.
Because foster children often move and change schools frequently, their educational needs may often be overlooked. Is a child's grade slipping in a particular class? Does he need special education classes? Who is there to notice? CASA volunteers can often be the people who notice. They can help ensure the children they serve have the highest potential for educational success by advocating for educational services for the children. The American Bar Assocation provides an online database of searchable topics related to foster care and education that is helpful in advocating for the educational needs of foster children. To access the database, click here.
The CASA volunteers of CASA of Forsyth County were honored in August by the DFCS (Department of Family and Children Services) office in the county with an appreciation luncheon. The DFCS case managers wanted to show their appreciation for all the work CASA volunteers do for children. Three affiliate CASA programs recently acquired permanent office space - Hall-Dawson CASA (located in Gainesville), TLC CASA (located in Dublin) and Athens-Oconee CASA (located in Athens). The rural CASA programs in the Southeast were represented by Georgia's own Sherri Howard, Executive Director of TLC CASA, at a recent National CASA meeting for the rural CASA program initiative. In other rural news, several rural affiliate programs in the state received mini-grants from National CASA (ranging from $950-$1,500). The recipient programs were Thomas County CASA, CASA of the Northern Judicial Circuit, South Central CASA, CASA of the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit and Coastal Plain CASA.
This summer, National CASA released the newest version of the Volunteer Training Curriculum. The updated curriculum includes a new training toolkit, with features such as autobiographical 'digital stories' of five foster youth, other related DVDs, slides, posters and handouts. The curriculum also includes an extensive web resource section that allows volunteers to access additional information on specific topics in addition to a reference materials CD. A formatting make-over offers volunteers an appealing and user-friendly manual. Georgia CASA adapted state specific materials to supplement throughout the curriculum and assist local programs in customizing the material. Georgia CASA offered several regional training sessions on the curriculum for CASA staff around the state. The on-going improvement of the training curriculum helps to ensure community volunteers are provided with the necessary tools, resources, skills and support to provide the highest quality advocacy for abused and neglected children. Affiliate programs can purchase training manuals through Georgia CASA.
The Foster Care Support Foundation provides free clothes, toys and infant equipment for Georgia's basic-care foster children. The Foundation is located in Roswell (just north of Atlanta) and will mail clothes to the local DFCS (Department of Family & Children Services) office if the child resides more than 90 minutes away. Children can receive clothes year-round and infants can receive clothes each time their sizes change, up to a 12 month size. For more information, visit www.fostercares.org.
--Child Placement 8th Annual Conference, October 29-31, Augusta Marriott Hotel & Suites --Fourth Annual Georgia CASA Luncheon & Fashion Show, Wednesday, March 12, 2008, Maggiano's, Buckhead (details TBA) --Georgia CASA State Conference, Saturday, April 26, 2008, Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta (details TBA) --National CASA Conference, June 7-10, 2008, Washington, D.C.
Beacon of Light --Donate (To donate to an affiliate program, use the mail-in form on the site) |
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