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Causes: Child Abuse Prevention, Children & Youth, Crime & Law, Domestic Violence, Human Services, Youth Violence Prevention
Mission: Casa of cook county's vision is to protect abused and neglected children by providing them a voice in court, a safe and permanent home, and an opportunity to grow, learn and thrive.
Programs: Child advocacy - within the child advocacy program, casa of cook county administers two focus areas to address the specialized needs of some children: the medically at risk kids (mark) program and the creating independent transitions for youth (city) initiative. Mark - under the supervision of the mark coordinator, casa volunteers serve as advocates for medically fragile children involved with the child protection division of juvenile court to ensure that each child receives the appropriate medical care and to minimize the potential for re-abuse. City - the city initiative focuses on the specialized needs of older youth who are preparing to transition from the foster care system into adulthood and independent living. As mentioned above, without the proper support of a caring adult to guide them in the necessary life skills and experiences, older foster youth face a daunting future filled with many challenges and uncertainties. City advocates work one-on-one with youth age 16 and older to ensure their current safety and to ensure that youth receive guidance in necessary financial, educational and life skills. With this guidance, youth will begin to understand how to advocate for themselves and how to become successful, productive members of their communities.