CASA of Los Angeles
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Nowhere in the nation is the problem greater than in Los Angeles County, where 30,000 children who have been abused or neglected are under the jurisdiction of the Dependency Court. One-third of these children are age 0-5; infants and toddlers are the fastest growing group of abused children. CASA/LA provided one-on-one advocacy to 1,124 children in FY2018, in addition to 3,276 children with day-of-court assistance through Shelter Care.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Advocacy
Serving children and youth in the LA County child dependency system.
Where we work
External reviews
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?
For years, CASA/LA has worked to increase the number of children we serve, not just because we wanted to reach a certain number, but also because the children in LA County’s child welfare system are in desperate need of the support and care that CASA volunteers provide. And there was one primary reason we were driven to conquer that dream: helping children heal from trauma. Children in LA County’s child welfare system experience trauma over and over again, and as science has shown, trauma doesn’t end in childhood. It has life-long physical and mental health implications. It isn’t just about supporting a child today, but about changing their trajectory to support the adult they will become tomorrow.
The sad truth is, most children served by CASA/LA first experienced trauma in their own homes and at the hands of their parents—the place they should be most safe. It’s why they entered the child welfare system initially. But then, these children and youth are torn from their homes, and far, far too often continue to experience trauma in the foster care system. They continue to experience abuse and neglect, they experience broken relationship after broken relationship. They end up in a system that some can’t escape, and the consequences are dire.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
CASA/LA alleviates the feelings of abandonment and alienation that scar these young lives by harnessing the compassion and generosity of caring adults who can and do have an enormous impact on the development of the child at all ages. The genius of the CASA model is that it effectively capitalizes on a huge reservoir of caring by mobilizing it in service to children. CASA makes the crucial connection—one caring adult to one child in need—that can be the turning point in a life that has been disrupted. Our most significant accomplishments happen every day—when an overlooked opportunity is found, a service is secured or an adult connection is made that will help to keep a child safe and give him or her an opportunity to succeed in life.
The volunteers get to know the children and their circumstances, show them that someone cares, advocate for their best interests (including making recommendations to the Court), encourage them to grow to their fullest potential, and become involved in key issues in their life, especially permanent placement, and school, health, and mental health issues.
A CASA volunteer is often the sole consistent adult anchor for foster children. Children frequently remark how important it is to them that these tireless advocates are the only people in “the system” who are not paid to assist them. CASA volunteers give a voice to a child who cannot speak up for herself or himself and are frequently viewed as mentors or guides.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
CASA’s Early Childhood Initiative advances our commitment to help children ages 0-5. In Los Angeles County, 35% of the children entering foster care are ages 0-5 (19% are under 24 months).
Through the Early Childhood Training program, developed in partnership with the Child Development Institute, our volunteers gain a sophisticated understanding of early childhood development, which they bring into every interaction they have with the child, the family, foster family, or other caregivers. Their training includes recognizing developmental milestones and possible delays exhibited by the children, like the loss of speech, or lack of facial expressions or social skills. CASAs also learn about protective factors that strengthen families (e.g., whether the parent has social supports) and help them deal more effectively with stressful events. Historically, a thorough understanding of early childhood development has been missing from the dependency court system, not only in Los Angeles, the largest such system in the country, but in many other jurisdictions as well. Therefore, the knowledge gained from this specialized training significantly aids in discussions with all the adults in the child’s life, including parents, caregivers, social workers, attorneys, teachers and school administrators, and is reflected in recommendations made to the judge on behalf of the child.
The Early Childhood Training helps CASAs use a developmental lens to assess the child’s situation, which helps the Court and concerned adults better understand the young child’s needs to achieve physical, emotional, and attachment development. As the unique developmental needs of the child are recognized earlier, interventions happen sooner, and more children achieve permanency successfully.
For many youth, the long-term effects of trauma, neglect, and abuse incur significant mental health consequences. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Mental and behavioral health is the largest unmet health need for children and teens in foster care.” Abused and neglected children in the dependency system are among Los Angeles County’s most at risk, with almost 70 percent of children in foster care exhibiting moderate to severe mental health problems, and approximately 50 percent diagnosed with at least one psychiatric disorder. However, only 23 percent of children who are in foster care for at least 12 months received mental health services. That is why one of the principal goals of all CASAs working with children and youth in protective care is to ensure that proper mental health assessments and services are provided for each child they serve.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
During the last fiscal year, CASA/LA served 1,124 unique children (18% more than in FY2017 and 39% more than in FY2016), we received 647 case referrals (9% more than in FY2017 and 38% more than in FY2016), we trained 402 new CASA volunteers (25% more than FY2017 and 100% more than FY2016), and appointed 931 unique volunteers (an increase of 25% from FY 2017 and 67% from FY2016). We conquered big dreams. As you will see in the following pages, the numbers are just the beginning, our CASA volunteers enhanced the lives of the children they served by improving youth outcomes around safety, permanency, and well-being, they reduced the number of placements per child from 4 to 1.7 every year, and they helped to significantly reduce the number of youth on psychotropic medications.
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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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
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CASA of Los Angeles
Board of directorsas of 01/02/2024
Alayne Sampson
Chandler Asset Management
Ed Nahmias
Lori Kozak
Doug Anderson
Johna Rivers
Ricardo Gonzalez
Aishwarya Bhave
Doug Bond
Andrew Goldberg
Christian Green
Belinda Heard
Samuel Herod
Tamara Hunter
Erika Johnson
Veronica Keegan
Mark Lamia
Debra Ravden
Daniel Sarkis
Nathan Spatz
Courtney Torres
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
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/02/2024GuideStar 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 disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- 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.