In 1977, concerned over making decisions about abused and neglected children's lives without sufficient information, a Seattle judge conceived the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of these children. The goal was to help ensure that they would live in a safe and loving environment.

So successful was this Seattle program that soon judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. Today, National CASA's network of 1,018 local program offices provides a strong voice, one child at a time, through 70,000 caring volunteers. The National CASA Association is dedicated to making the world a safer and more nurturing place for the nation's abused children. Highly trained CASA volunteers are matched one to one with children in foster care and work to ensure that they are placed in stable, caring homes where they can thrive. Every year, more than 750,000 children experience the US foster care system, and National CASA serves about a third of them. Their goal over the next four years is to increase that number by 25%.

In 2010, Jewelers for Children continues its support of abused and neglected children throughout the country with a $600,000 contribution to National CASA. Of that, more than 80% will be passed directly to local CASA programs. The funds will again be combined with matching dollars from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice to fund the Champions for Abused Children program. It is estimated that 444 abused and neglected children will receive support during the year as a result of JFC support. The balance of JFC's 2010 support will underwrite a new signature call-to-action campaign that will generate national momentum and recognition for the CASA movement.

The National CASA Association has been a Jewelers for Children Legacy Charity since 2003. In all, JFC has provided $6,475,000 in support since the relationship began. Those funds have been used by National CASA primarily to make grants to local CASA programs who have used the funds to profoundly change the lives of 5,214 abused and neglected children in 541 communities across the country. In addition, a portion of each grant is used for a project of national impact. Examples in this category include a moving donor and volunteer recruitment video, a pair of hard-hitting public service announcements and a project to recruit a more inclusive and diverse volunteer pool.

Jewelers for Children is the leading private supporter of the National CASA Association and its member programs, significantly advancing National CASA's vision of providing a CASA volunteer for every abused and neglected child who needs one. The Champions for Abused Children Initiative also provides opportunities for jewelry industry members to volunteer to help children.



Marion, IL

One of the many children served by a CASA volunteer thanks to support from JFC is Janie. Her volunteer advocate helped put her broken family back together again.

By the time Janie was 2, she had been removed from her home twice because her parents' drug use put her in danger. The second time, Paul was assigned to be her CASA volunteer.

At first, Janie's parents were defensive and uncooperative, assuming the system would take their daughter away. Indeed, most of the people involved in the case believed that Janie would become a ward of the state. But Paul, whose job was to advocate for Janie's best interest, was not willing to let a family disintegrate without taking a closer look.

After spending time with Janie's parents and getting to know them, Paul recommended that Janie be allowed to visit them more often. When Janie's parents realized that somebody was on their side and there was hope of keeping their daughter, their attitudes changed. For the first time, they started cooperating sincerely with social service workers and the court. They began to work through a plan that would eventually bring Janie home to them. With Paul's help, they found services in the community to help them deal with their drug problems.

While Janie lived in a safe foster home for a full year, Paul stayed on the case. A judge also monitored the case, reading Paul's reports and implementing his recommendations. Incredibly, Janie's parents, who had come so close to losing their daughter forever, learned how to be parents. They turned their lives around. Janie was reunited with them and the family is now flourishing.

Without a CASA volunteer on the case, Janie would likely have lost her family forever. With Paul's help, her family was given a new beginning.

JFC's support of the National CASA Association puts caring adult advocates into the lives of abused and neglected children like Janie. Thank you for your help.

To protect the privacy of children and families, this story was edited to change names and remove details that might identify a specific child.

Thanks from local CASA/GAL programs

"JFC funding has helped this organization thrive. We have drastically increased our volunteer force, which has allowed us to advocate on behalf of more children so that we may help them to secure a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible."
—CASA of Genesee County, Flint, MI

"We are truly thankful for the funding provided by Jewelers for Children. Rural funding is challenging, and we rely on donations from individuals and from corporations in our community. The jewelers in the nation are to be commended for their gift to the children who benefit from the advocacy CASA volunteers provide to them."
—CASA of South Central Missouri, Rolla, MO

"New York City CASA, like so many other nonprofits in the United States, has been hit hard by the economic downturn. JFC funding has assisted NYC CASA at a most difficult time in our history. Thank you."
—New York City CASA

For the 2010/2011 program year, Jewelers for Children funds are being used for grants to the following local CASA chapters:

CASA of Crittenden County, West Memphis, AR
CASA of Imperial County, El Centro, CA
CASA of Solano County, Fairfield, CA
Plumas CASA, Quincy, CA
A Kid's Place CASA Program, CASA of Weld County - Greeley, Greeley, CO
Advocates for Children - Aurora, Aurora, CO
CASA of Pueblo, Pueblo, CO
Central Georgia CASA, Macon, GA
CASA of Vermilion County, Danville, IL
CASA of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties, Overland Park, KS
CASA of Lexington, Lexington, KY
Franklin/Hampshire CASA Program, Northampton, MA
Anne Arundel County CASA, Inc., Annapolis, MD
CASA of Harford County, Bel Air, MD
CASA of Frederick County, Frederick, MD
CASA Program of Genesee County, Flint, MI
CASA of Southwest Missouri-31st Judicial Circuit, Springfield, MO
Voices for Children - St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Guardian ad Litem - District 10 Raleigh - Main, Raleigh, NC
CASA of New Hampshire, Inc. - Manchester, Manchester, NH
CASA of Mercer County, Inc., Ewing, NJ
Cape May Courty - Remote, Cape May Court House, NJ
CASA of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties, Washington, NJ
CASA of Ocean County, Toms River, NJ
Passaic County CASA, Wayne, NJ
CASA, First Judicial District, Santa Fe, NM
San Juan CASA, Farmington, NM
CASA of Franklin County - Columbus, Columbus, OH
CASA/GAL Program of Summit County, Akron, OH
CASA of Oklahoma County, Inc., Oklahoma City, OK
CASA/Youth Advocates, Inc., Media, PA
CASA of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA
CASA for Kids, Inc. - Washington, Washington, PA
Child Advocates CASA of Archer, Clay, Montague & Wichita Cou, Wichita Falls, TX
CASA of El Paso, Inc., El Paso, TX
CASA of Central Texas, Inc., New Braunfels, TX
Great Richmond SCAN - Richmond CASA, Richmond, VA
CASA of the New River Valley, Christiansburg, VA
Kids Matter CASA, Milwaukee, WI
CASA of Brown County, Inc., Green Bay, WI
CASA of Siskiyou County - Yreka, Yreka, CA
Colorado CASA - Southeastern Colorado CASA Remote, Lamar, CO
Colorado CASA - Heart of Colorado CASA Remote, Canon City, CO
CASA of Williamson County, Inc., Marion, IL
CASA of Knox County, Galesburg, IL
Sunflower CASA Project, Inc., Manhattan, KS
CASA of Calloway and Marshall Counties, Inc., Murray, KY
CASA of Menominee County, Menominee, MI
CASA of Dunklin County, Kennett, MO
15th Judicial Circuit CASA, Lexington, MO
Dawson/Gosper County CASA, Lexington, NE
Little Dixie Community Action Agency CASA Program, Antlers, OK
CASA of Warren and Forest Counties, Warren, PA
First Circuit CASA Program, Mitchell, SD
Northern Hills Area CASA Program, Spearfish, SD
CASA of Deep East Texas, Nacogdoches, TX
CASA of North Texas, Inc., Gainesville, TX
Voices for Kids CASA Program of Southeast Virginia, Isle of Wight, VA
29th Judicial District CASA Program, Inc. - Grundy, Grundy, VA
Columbia-Sauk CASA Program, Baraboo, WI

 

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