Help CASA make Father's Day a Happy Holiday for Foster Children

On Father’s Day we celebrate everything a father does for his children. Fathers feed them, teach them to walk, take them to school, teach them to play sports, protect them and so much more.

Sadly, not all children are so lucky to have a father, or a father figure, who can and will do these things for them.

When a child is placed in foster care due to abuse and neglect, a judge or magistrate can appoint a volunteer CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) to speak up for a child’s best interest by learning everything about the child’s situation. Often the CASA advocate is the stability a child needs during this frightful time. CASA advocates speak up for the child’s best interests in court and in the child welfare system when no one
else can.

CASA volunteers are regular people — retirees, teachers, business people. They don’t need to be lawyers or social workers. They just need to be willing to advocate for children in need, just like a father would for his child.

There is a special need for more male volunteers in the program. Many children in the system do not have a positive male role model to look to and their CASA advocate often becomes that person. This is especially important for young men close to aging out of the system who may feel more comfortable opening up to a male volunteer. CASA advocates can choose to work with children of any age or gender.

“CASA volunteers become that role model because they often are the one constant in a child’s life while he or she is in the foster care system,” said Ann Marie Binsner, Executive Director. “It is amazing to see the difference you can make by just consistently showing up.”

You can help break the cycle of abuse from one generation to another. You can be a positive male role model by becoming a CASA volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County.

We are now accepting applications for our next volunteer training which begins July 9th.

For more information, please go to www.pgcasa.org or call us at 301-209-0491.