CASA NYC
Grant Years
2024,2025
Program Strategy
social mobility
Location
New York City, NY
The Challenge
The New York City child welfare system is overburdened.
The high workloads of case workers and attorneys often make it impossible for them to provide all of the hands-on support that children and families need. This can lead to children being unnecessarily separated from their families, which does immeasurable damage to children.
Once children are in foster care, they do not always get their needs met, and sometimes languish in foster care longer than necessary. Many young people age out of care without ever having been provided with a permanent home or the resources and support they need to live independently.
the solution
how it works
Family court judges appoint CASA-NYC by court order to the cases of children and youth with the most complex needs, and when they are concerned that a child is not getting the services and support they need from the child welfare system or is at risk of languishing in foster care longer than necessary.
Because CASA volunteer advocates are not a party to the case, they are able to gather information from everyone involved in the case and the child’s life and provide the judge with comprehensive reports about the family circumstances, where the child is living, barriers to family reunification or adoption, and steps that need to be taken to ensure the child’s safety, stability, and permanency. The objective is for the CASA to produce fact-based reports allows judges to make informed decisions in the best interest of each child.
Case workers, attorneys, and even foster homes typically change frequently throughout a young person’s time in foster care. CASA-NYC volunteer advocates, however, are appointed to a child or youth's case for as long as they are needed and it's not uncommon for volunteers to work with a young person for 5-10+ years.
When CASA-NYC works with a child, youth, or family, they not only become a part of their support system, they often become the architects of a new, stronger, and more enduring network of care and support.
individualized advocacy
Because a CASA serves on only one or two cases at a time, and commit to serving for the life of the case, CASA-NYC volunteers take the time to really understand each child’s unique needs and circumstances. They then search out hard-to-find resources and work to connect children and their families and caretakers with the support they need.
family reunification whenever possible
CASA-NYC volunteer advocates work closely with parents to help them overcome systemic and individual barriers to safety and stability. This may include helping parents access domestic violence support services, health and mental health care, substance abuse treatment, safe and stable housing, employment, education, and income supports.
Keeping Families Safely Together
In most cases, the children or youth have already been placed in foster care. In a small percentage of our cases, the judge asks that we assist a family where there is a very high chance of removal, but the child has not yet been placed in foster care. CASA-NYC’s goal is to support the family to try to prevent foster care placement and the trauma of family separation when safely possible.
Collaborating Across the Community
CASA-NYC’s unique role as a court-ordered service provider allows us to initiate and promote unified efforts across the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), foster care agencies, service providers, and government agencies. They maintain strong relationships with legal services organizations representing children and parents and collaborate with community organizations that offer a variety of services to their clients.
Results
87
49
37
48
impact
Creating Intergenerational Stability for young people like Jenny
Jenny entered foster care as a teenager and, before she aged out of the system, her family court judge appointed CASA-NYC to support the difficult transition to independent living. As Jenny's volunteer Advocate, Rose, began working with her, she learned that Jenny was expecting her first child.
While Jenny had had her application for public housing approved, she needed help turning the apartment into a home and preparing for the birth of her baby. As is often the case for former foster youth, Jenny experienced increased scrutiny and monitoring from Children's Services, and she worried her child would be taken from her and placed in foster care.
Rose was able to help Jenny get essential items for her home and baby Ty, but after a surprise visit, Children's Services alleged neglect, citing dirty laundry in the home.
Jenny, understandably, found it difficult to regularly get to the laundromat, which was far from her home, between shifts at her two part-time jobs with her newborn in tow. Rose applied for a grant through CASA-NYC to purchase a washing machine for Jenny, ultimately appeasing Children's Services and preventing her son from entering foster care. Rose will continue to provide support and advocacy for Jenny and Ty as long as she's needed.