2011
12/20/11: On Thursday, December 22 The Michael Eric Dyson Show
featured an interview with CASA for Children of DC and the DC Child and
Family Services Agency (CFSA). Senior Manager, Phillip Lartigue, was
joined by Beatrice Williar, Program Manager for CFSA’s Partners for Kids in Care, for a
segment on what youth in foster care do during the holidays and how the
community can get involved. To listen, visit http://dysonshow.org/?p=8435.
9/27/11: CASA Alumni Shumeka Moore is featured on WAMU! Shumeka was joined by her CASA, Kristal Wortham, to talk about the importance of life long connections. Read the WAMU story entitled, "D.C. Group Helps Foster Children Succeed After Emancipation" at http://bit.ly/pjxeq0.
8/19/11: CASA for Children of DC Announces New Executive Director! Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children of DC is happy to announce the appointment of Richard Harris to the position of Executive Director. Harris brings over 35 years of leadership experience in public service both in New York and in Washington D.C. Career highlights include serving as Chief of Staff of the New York City Department of Youth Services, Vice President of the Paul Rapoport Foundation and Associate Vice-President of Safe Horizon, the nation’s largest Victim Assistance organization. In 2004, Harris managed Resource Development for the District of Columbia’s Child and Family Services Agency. During his previous positions with CASA for Children of DC, he drove resource development and enhanced the organization’s capacity to serve abused and neglected children.
“I am excited to return to CASA for Children of DC , and look forward to continuing our vision of ensuring children in the District’s child welfare system have a safe, permanent home, especially at this critical time,” Harris says of his new position.
Board President, Adrienne Cox adds, “The board is excited to have Richard back on the team. His leadership and experience are vital to the organization now. We are serving more children with more CASA volunteers than ever before. With Richard’s stewardship, we can help all the children who need us and achieve even greater success.”
8/2/11: Former CASA youth shares her experience! Shumeka Moore, former CASA youth, and her Court Appointed Special Advocate, Kristal Wortham, were featured on The Michael Eric Dyson Show. Visit http://dysonshow.org/?p=5229 to listen to the broadcast. Shumeka was recently featured in the Washington Examiner for their 3-Minute Interview as well. Read her interview here: http://bit.ly/nbjCLs.
7/20/11: The Office of Youth Empowerment hosts their 2nd Permanency Forum! CASA for Children of DC’s Phillip Lartigue moderated the panel featuring Stedman Graham, who spoke about the value of lifelong connections. The panel, which included one CASA youth, presented to over 200 young people, community members and stakeholders.
7/16/11: CASA youth honored at 23rd Annual Youth Recognition Event. Several of our CASA youth were honored at the 23rd Annual Child and Family Services Agency Youth Recognition Event! The categories that CASAs, Social Workers and GALs nominated these young people for included Youth in College, Most Academically Improved, Vocational Achievement, and Against All Odds. These awards are a testament to the resiliency of our young people and the dedication of their CASAs.
7/1/11: New Partnership: CASA for Children of DC and The DC Center. CASA for Children of DC is excited to announce a new partnership with The DC Center for the LGBT Community! We look forward to working with The DC Center to raise awareness and support for our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered youth in foster care. Each month prior to training, we will hold an information session with DC Center volunteers to talk about the incredible impact CASAs have on the lives of foster youth. Stay tuned for details on the upcoming August information session at The DC Center; invite your friends!
4/28/11: CASA DC Awards Volunteer of the Year! During this year's Volunteer Appreciation Gathering, CASA for Children of DC was delighted to award Ms. Janet Forest as our Court Appointed Special Advocate of the Year. Ms. Forest goes above and beyond to not only advocate diligently for an at-risk youth, but also works hand-in-hand with CASA for Children DC, striving to raise awareness through volunteer recruitment and fundraising. Also honored were Ms. Nicole Broome, a social worker, and Ms. Kelly Venci, Guardian ad Litem, as Friends of CASA. Ms. Broome expects the best from our advocates and provides the opportunity for a CASA to do just that. Ms. Venci works to build a passionate team and ensures the CASA advocate is a vital part of that youth's success.
2010
8/21/10: CASA for Children of DC receives award at the 2nd Annual Pleasant Hills Community Day! Commissioner Albrette "Gigi" Ransom awarded CASA DC a Certificate of Appreciation for "services and contributions to the quality of life of the children of Washington, DC through advocacy on their behalf."
5/19/10: CASA for Children of DC hosts the First Annual Fostering Hope Awards Luncheon! National CASA Association CEO, Michael Piraino, joined the CASA DC family to honor Ms. Victoria Rowell, actress and advocate for children in foster care, as well as outstanding CASA volunteers and youth.
5/15/10: CASA for Children of DC CEO, Shane Salter, was named a 2010 National Advocacy Award Recipient for his work with CASA DC at the "Who Mentored You to This Moment?" event given by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The event celebrated mentors and mentees who make a difference. Salter, a native of New York, represented CASA DC proudly as he accepted this prestigious award. Congratulations, Shane!
4/1/10: April is the National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is the month to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect. Call our office today to find out what you can do to support children and families!
2009
5/18/09: Did you know May is National Foster Care Month? For related events in DC and around the nation, click here.
5/14/09: One of our wonderful CASA youth, her dedicated CASA volunteer, and CASA of DC's CEO were featured on WTTG (Fox 5)! Check out their discussion of CASA's "Preparing Youth for Adulthood program" and their affirmation of the difference a CASA can effect in a child's life.
5/13/09: CASA of DC's Volunteer Manager, Phil Lartigue, accompanied Shumeka, a participant in our "Preparing Youth for Adulthood" initiative, and her dedicated CASA volunteer Kristal Wortham, to the Second Annual Youth Permanency Convening in DC yesterday. The conference was organized by the Child and Family Services Agency in collaboration with the AGA Group LLC, the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, Kidsave, and the Freddie Mac Foundation. Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund, spoke at the conference and took time to meet with the CASA team. Pictures from the conference are available at our Flickr page.
4/13/09: The Washington Examiner featured CASA's CEO, Shane Salter, in their 3 minute interview! Read it here.
4/13/09: Invite your friends to become fans of CASA of DC on Facebook, and stay informed about CASA of DC news and events! You can also make a donation or raise awareness about children in the foster care system by joining our Facebook cause. Remember, you can also stay up-to-date on children's issues by following us on Twitter!
3/25/09: The March edition of CASA of DC's "Our Powerful Voices" newsletter is finally here! Click here to read all about our accomplishments over the last year, and our plans for the future. Note: To view the newsletter, you will need to have installed the Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this free software, click here.
3/24/09: There's a great article in the Examiner that discusses the plight of children in foster care:
"Too often youths from “undesirable” backgrounds are cast-offs viewed as never having aspirations of greatness. Their thoughts, desires, talents, and worth are overlooked. Unaware of circumstances contributing to these youths' fate, adults often prejudge and dismiss them. However, if adults were to engage rather than prejudge, they would discover the youth who acts violently for instance, was consistently abused by his or her parents until placed in foster care, where he or she never found a permanent, loving home, eventually “aging out” of a system promising to restore his or her life. Nonetheless, one DC organization, which acts on behalf of and along with DC youths, ensures youths within the District child welfare system have a fighting chance of finding a permanent home. Those unfortunate to find a permanent home and face “aging out” of the foster care system, are prepared for an independent life as an adult."
Guess which DC organization they're talking about? To read the rest of the article, and to learn more about how CASA of DC helps children in foster care find safe, permanent homes, click here.
3/19/09: On Wednesday, March 18th, four of CASA's staff members and two volunteers attended a press conference on Capitol Hill to celebrate the GIVE Act - a radical new piece of legislation that constitutes the most dramatic expansion of national service opportunities in a generation. Speakers at the press conference included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative Steny Hoyer, and others. Click here to learn more about the GIVE Act, or here to see photos of the CASA gang rocking their T-shirts on Capitol Hill! Footage of the conference itself is available at the Be The Change, Inc. blog.
3/12/09: CASA of DC is now on Twitter! To stay updated on foster care legislation, CASA DC events, and the latest issues in children's rights, click here!
2008
6/8/08: Shane Salter, Founder and CEO of CASA for the Children DC, was named the 2008 Washington Nationals Father of Year, thanks to his adopted son, Moye's, prizewinning essay. Read the full article here.
5/20/08: The National CASA Association launched its “Forgotten Children Campaign” in DC with an exhibit at the Washington Monument featuring 850 life-sized cardboard displays representing the number of children who enter foster care each day. Read more about the campaign here.
5/18/08: Shane Salter, CASA DC's Founder and CEO, was featured in a Washington Post online discussion for the 2008 National Foster Care Appreciation Month! Read the full transcript here.