JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION CONGRESSIONAL EARMARK PROGRAMS

This award will support the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association in providing training and technical assistance to its network of local programs across the nation and the 2003 CASA subgrantee programs. This training and technical assistance will support the development and enhancement of new and existing CASA programs and will ensure that these programs provide effective and quality representation/court advocacy to children involved, or at risk of becoming involved in dependency court. Other participants who will benefit from National CASA training include judges, social workers, attorneys, juvenile court personnel, foster parents and governmental and private agency representatives.

National CASA will increase both the number and percentage of abused and neglected children receiving quality volunteer representation. National CASA will support the creation of new CASA programs, expand existing programs, recruit more volunteers, and develop mechanisms to sustain programs. National CASA will provide technical assistance, tools, and training to state and local CASA programs, working in partnership with state organizations, to ensure quality advocacy and program management. National CASA will sustain its own program operations, secure support for priority initiatives, and assist local and state programs in securing the resources they need to sustain or expand advocacy for children. In working towards these goals, National CASA will focus its activities in three areas: 1) build effective state organizations; 2) provide technical assistance, tools and training for state and local organizations; and 3) ensure quality advocacy and program management.

NCA/NCF

This award will support the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association in providing training and technical assistance to its network of local programs across the nation and the 2003 CASA subgrantee programs. This training and technical assistance will support the development and enhancement of new and existing CASA programs and will ensure that these programs provide effective and quality representation/court advocacy to children involved, or at risk of becoming involved in dependency court. Other participants who will benefit from National CASA training include judges, social workers, attorneys, juvenile court personnel, foster parents and governmental and private agency representatives. National CASA will increase both the number and percentage of abused and neglected children receiving quality volunteer representation. National CASA will support the creation of new CASA programs, expand existing programs, recruit more volunteers, and develop mechanisms to sustain programs. National CASA will provide technical assistance, tools, and training to state and local CASA programs, working in partnership with state organizations, to ensure quality advocacy and program management. National CASA will sustain its own program operations, secure support for priority initiatives, and assist local and state programs in securing the resources they need to sustain or expand advocacy for children. In working towards these goals, National CASA will focus its activities in three areas: 1) build effective state organizations; 2) provide technical assistance, tools and training for state and local organizations; and 3) ensure quality advocacy and program management. NCA/NCF

This project has 7 programmatic goals:
1. Present or sponsor 130 separate training sessions.
2. Provide a minimum of 73,000 instances of technical assistance to state and local organizations (minimums: 84 onsite visits, 35,000 phone/electronic communications and 37,000 documents/publications).
3. Distribute 120,000 copies of new National CASA publications to build our relationship with volunteers, donors and other supporters; add value to membership in National CASA; and build awareness of the organization.
4. Conduct other public awareness activities to recruit more volunteers and supporters. Example: Recruit 7,000 volunteers in three months via innovative campaign encouraging existing volunteers to secure one person each. See specifics on this and other tactics below.
5. Assist local and state programs in securing the resources they need to sustain or expand advocacy for children.
6. Build effective state organizations.
7. Continue our commitment to attracting and retaining highly qualified staff.

NCA/NCF

The National Court Apponted Special Advocates Association (NCASAA) provides training and technical assistance to state and local CASA programs. This project enhances the mission of National CASA by training volunteer child advocates and supporting the implementation of appropriate standards and best practivces in the child advocacy field within the member CASA programs. Together with its state and local members, the National CASA Association supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes. NCA/NCF