CASA of Monterey County
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Our Mission
Our mission is to ensure that abused and neglected children are provided with every available opportunity to begin a journey into healthy, productive lives. By introducing caring, responsible adults into their lives, we help break the cycle of abuse and neglect. By engaging trained volunteers, we empower people in our community to place children's needs and well-being as a priority.
ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES
- Children should feel safe and protected wherever they live.
- Children deserve to be treated with respect and have their opinions validated.
- Children in our communities are everyone's responsibility.
- Our society has developed and implements systems to remove children, who are victims of abuse or neglect, from their parents to ensure their safety and well-being. Therefore, as a society we must be responsible. As a society, we must not only expect the system to care for these children, but rather we must hold each other responsible, making sure that these same children's safety, welfare and dignity are upheld in the process.
- CASA is the organization designated to educate the community and be a spokesperson on issues of child maltreatment, always keeping the welfare of the child the priority.
Our GoalsCASA's advocacy focuses on the best interest of the child and is primarily broken down into four areas: placement, health matters, education, and social development. Advocates use the following guidelines to direct their casework:
- Assess Placement : how well is the child doing in his/her foster home, group home, with a relative, or near kin; how does the child get along with adults and other children
- Follow-up on Details : examine issues such as connections with siblings, reactions towards reunifying with parents; attention to medical or dental needs
- Track Educational Progress : work with teachers, schools, and foster parents for greater success in school; ensure youth's educational rights are upheld
- Foster Healthy Lifestyles : promote extra-curricular activities, pursuit of interests, model positive conflict resolution
- Empower Children : encourage children to speak up for their needs and take a positive stand for their future
- Report to the Judge : provide him/her detailed information and more personal observations with which to make decisions
Our Process
CASA of Monterey County receives referrals directly from the Court. When a trained volunteer is available, he or she reviews the case information and consults with professionals to develop a case plan. Prior to each court hearing, the volunteer prepares a court report with their evaluations and recommendations for the child. The Juvenile Court Judge reads and considers the CASA report along with the social worker's report prior to making a decision. To better serve the program, each volunteer receives 30 hours of expert, training in relevant skills, as well as ongoing supervision.
CASA volunteers are unique in providing information not usually available to the Court. Because of the enormous number of cases filed in Juvenile Court and dwindling resources to adequately investigate cases, judges are often compelled to make decisions based on less than complete or objective data. A CASA's objective, unbiased recommendation in the best interest of the child is an invaluable aid to the judge.
Our Influence
In addition to our services to abused, neglected and abandoned children, our program advocates for delinquent youth as well as those aging out of the social welfare system. CASA Monterey provides community education and awareness concerning issues of child abuse, neglect and child welfare policy. We are also committed and strive for public policies that promote child abuse prevention and reforms in the Juvenile Foster Care and social welfare system.
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