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- EIN 77-0398079
- (831) 455-6800
- 945 S. Main Street, Suite 107 Salinas CA 93901 USA
- www.casamonterey.org
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Children & Youth, Children & Youth Services
Mission: To train and support community volunteers who advocate for abused or neglected children placed in foster care, upholding the children’s rights while pursuing a safe and permanent home.
Results: Over 100 active volunteers serving over 200 children a year.
Programs: CASA of Monterey County recruits, screens, and trains community volunteers to serve as advocates in compliance with California Rules of Court 5.655 and the standards set by National CASA. Advocates are sworn in as Officers of the Court by the Juvenile Dependency Judge and report findings, make recommendations, and speak up for the child directly to the Judge in Dependency proceedings. Children are appointed to the program only by the Judge of the Juvenile Court. The contextual framework for our child advocacy should be that all activities, beyond the initial crisis intervention, are focused on achieving permanency. Types of activities include the promotion of educational achievement; exposure to extra curricular activities; and the connection to a loving, permanent home environment that enables a child to thrive, which may include family finding and engagement. CASA advocacy with youth who are approaching emancipation focuses on the development of clear and attainable goals for the future, including higher education and sustainable employment and housing. New programs and initiatives include the Group Home Liaisons, the Runaway Task Force, and Family Finding and Engagement. Each of these programs facilitates connectedness and ultimately serves to help establish permanency by developing networks of support and greater communication regarding the youth's needs.