LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KABC) — CASA of Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization that primarily works and advocates for youth in foster care.
They say there are at about 30,000 children in the child welfare system in LA County.
CASA has a goal of serving 3,000 children by the end of 2024, but they need the community’s help.
The organization recruits and trains people to advocate for children in foster care.
This is typically an 18-month volunteer role. You will not be responsible for taking the child home, but instead, you’ll be asked to meet with them at least once a month.
“Becoming a CASA volunteer, once you go through training and pass a background check, you start working one-on-one with one child,” said Marie Carpenter, CASA’s Chief Developmental Officer. “We also have people in our office who have experience in child welfare, who have master’s degrees in social work who are working with you.”
The volunteer forms a trusting relationship with the child to ensure children and their families have equitable access to support and resources when it comes to education, healthcare and housing.
This could mean anything from comforting a child to attending court hearings or school meetings with them.
“We are looking for diverse volunteers who better represent the children that we serve. Volunteers with BIPOC communities, we need more male volunteers, we needs who are bilingual, or Spanish-speaking and we need volunteers with LGBTQIA+ community,” Carpenter said.
To donate or sign up to be a volunteer, visit CASA of Los Angeles’ website.
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