CASA of the Pikes Peak Region receives national grant to improve support to area’s children impacted by the child welfare system

October 31, 2024 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – CASA of the Pikes Peak Region has been awarded a $30,500 Volunteer Recruitment Grant from the National Court Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Assocation. CASA of the Pikes Peak Region recruits, trains, and supports volunteers who advocate for the beest interests of children who are involved in judicial proceedings related to abuse or neglect. Volunteer advocates are trained to support children through regular visits, information gathering, court reporting, and continuous case monitoring until the child/youth has a permanent home, preferably with their family or origin whenever safely possible.

The National CASA/GAL Volunteer Recruitment Grant will enable CASA of the Pikes Peak Region to focus on recruiting more volunteers from El Paso and Teller counties to serve the roughly 800 children per year who are referred to our program.

There are 941 CASA/GAL state organizations and local programs operating in 49 states and the District of Columbia. This funding is provided under the OJJDP FY 2021 VOCA Children’s Advocacy National Subgrant Program (CFDA #16.756) to manage a national grant awards program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of J uvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) primarily for the purpose of increasing the number of Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Guardian ad Litem (GAL) volunteers to advocate for the best interest of children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are the subject of civil court child abuse and neglect proceedings. National CASA/GAL administers the grants program under a cooperative agreement with OJJDP which is authorized pursuant to the Victims of Child Abuse Act, 34 USC 20323.

About CASA of the Pikes Peak Region
CASA of the Pikes Peak Region is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1989 as member of the National CASA/GAL Association. Serving El Paso and Teller Counties, the organization’s core mission is to recruit, train, and support citizen volunteers in its Dependency & Neglect program to provide a voice and advocate for victims of child abuse and neglect. The nonprofit also operates a Supervised Exchange & Parenting Time (SEPT) program, Milton Foster Children’s Fund (MFCF) & the Hanger, and Children & Families in Transition. With 500+ volunteers who put in roughly 15,000 hours in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, CASA of the Pikes Peak Region provided advocates for 572 children and served a total of 1,458 children in three programs. For more information, visit www.casappr.org

About the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem Association
The National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Association, together with its 941 state and local
program members, supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so that every child who is involved in judicial proceedings related to abuse or neglect in the United States can be safe, have a permanent home and have the opportunity to thrive. National CASA/GAL offers leadership and support to the network of programs and leads its continued growth. CASA/GAL volunteers and staff work every day to advocate for children/youth and to strengthen and support families. To learn more, visit nationalcasagal.org.