CASA Partners 4NMKIDS
Change a Child's Story
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
CASA Partners 4NMKIDS , a volunteer-driven 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, is committed to advocating for the best interest of every abused and neglected child who ends up in the foster care system in Sandoval and Valencia County. We train, support and supervise highly educated volunteer advocates for these children and to ensure that their needs do not get lost in the overburdened legal and foster care systems. Serving Sandoval County since 1998 and Valencia County since 2016, we work with the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), the 13th Judicial District Court, and numerous providers to ensure the safety and well-being of all foster children in Sandoval and Valencia County.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Child Advocacy
CASA Partners 4NMKIDS recruits, trains, and supervises volunteer advocates who are court-assigned to determine the best interests of abused and neglected children in foster care.
Where we work
External reviews
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Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our goal is to have a highly trained and professionally supported CASA volunteer advocate appointed to every case and every child in CYFD custody. This commitment provides value to the community in that social workers and courts receive more information to help them do their jobs more effectively, the children have an independent voice in court that is concerned with their best interest, families have someone trying to identify their strengths as well as their obstacles to progress, and the community has another set of eyes and ears for our most vulnerable children.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Better outcomes for children in foster care directly benefit the children and their families. Statistics show that children with a CASA spend 7.5 months less in foster care, experience fewer out of home placements, and have significantly improved educational performance. More than 90% of children with a CASA never reenter the child welfare system, compared with 63% of the general foster care population. This outcome also results in significant savings in child welfare expenses. Children with a CASA, and their families, receive more court-ordered services because of the volunteer’s detailed knowledge of the child’s circumstances, but these services are more carefully targeted and monitored also resulting in a more effective use of service dollars.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our organization has continued to grow and expand our programs. We started in Sandoval county in 1998 and have grown the program to cover 100% of the children in foster care with a CASA volunteer advocate. We took over the Valencia County program in 2016 with a 6% rate of coverage. We have grown the program to cover 49% of the children in the foster care system. We will continue to expand our program until every child has been assigned a CASA volunteer advocate.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have grown our program and expanded into a second county. Our program is financially stable and continues to support our goal and mission. We expanded our Sandoval County program from 88% coverage in 2017 to 100% coverage today. Our Valencia County coverage increased from 13% coverage in 2017 to 49% coverage today. During this time of growth we have continued to strengthen our financial status and have been fortunate to receive substantial grants and donations.
Our ultimate goal is to serve all children in foster care in our two counties. We are well on the way to this goal even as the number of children in foster care and the severity of the cases is increasing. We have been able attract incredible volunteers who are committed to the CASA program and to our kids. We will continue to grow and strengthen our program by incorporating best practices in all areas.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
CASA Partners 4NMKIDS
Board of directorsas of 08/16/2022
Dr. Steven Sanchez
Retired Superindentent
Term: 2019 - 2022
Hazel Martinez
MZA
Ronald Moorehead
First Financial Credit union
Steven Sanchez
Retired Superindentent
Kenneth Stowe
NM Public Education Department
Holly Velazquez-Duffy
NM Legislative Committee Policy Analyst
Rebecca Belletto
Managing Director, Teach for America
Karen Brown
Security Officer, MZA
Linda Griego
Paralegal
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/16/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.