A Message from Friends of CASA:

Last May the Board of Directors of Friends of CASA sent a letter to all King County CASAs reminding them of the support that is available through Friends of CASA for the children they serve.   This apparently had the desired effect, as the number of requests for assistance, and the amount of funding disbursed, reached high levels in June and July of this year.  In those two months, Friends of CASA provided over $11,000 in assistance in response to 24 requests from CASAs.  The funding provided was 66% above the level of the prior year, and the number of requests was far higher than the 17 requests submitted in 2015. 

So once again we are sending out the word: funding is available through Friends of CASA for the special needs of children you serve when there is no other source of funding available.  If you identify such a need in one of your cases, consult with your CASA Supervisor, fill out the two-page grant application form (available on-line at the Friends of CASA website www.friendsofcasakc.org), and submit the form through your CASA Supervisor.  Once the application reaches Friends of CASA, we can generally guarantee action on the request in a day or two.  (Requests higher than $1,000 may require more time.)

Housing-related costs continue to be the major category of need addressed by Friends of CASA assistance.  In June and July of this year Friends of CASA funded 8 requests related to housing needs, such as payment of rent, utilities, deposits, or the purchase of bedding and furniture.  Given the state of the low-income housing market in King County, we can expect requests of this type to continue.  Another major category of assistance in June and July was more related to the time of year.  Friends of CASA funded five requests, often in partnership with other donors, to pay all or a part of the cost of summer camps.

Friends of CASA has found that most of our assistance go to support children who have recently been returned to the care of a parent or who have been placed with a relative.   When a child is placed in foster care, both the foster parents and the child receive support in the form of financial assistance and services from the Department.  When a child is returned home or placed in relative care, this support often diminishes, just when the caregivers are most in need of help.  This is an area of need that Friends of CASA is equipped to fill.  Please consider asking Friends of CASA for support if a child you serve falls into these categories. 

If you have any questions about Friends of CASA and the services we provide, feel free to contact me at 206- 785-4628 or by e-mail at m.crawford@friendsofcasakc.org. 

Sincerely yours,

Mark Crawford

President, Friends of CASA Board of Directors