The new school year is almost here and can be a challenging time for families with tight budgets.  The CCFJC Resource Center is helping school kids start their year off right by providing items through the Bobbe J. Bridge Resource Center.  If you, or anyone in your community are able to donate, the resource center could use:

• New socks and underwear
• New or gently used backpacks
• New or gently used clothes and shoes
• School supplies
• Hair products
• Snacks

Learn about the Resource Center's clothing shop!

Please Share Your Experiences!

Every CASA volunteer has a unique story. Whether it was what inspired you to become a volunteer, a lesson you've learned along the way, or the personal impact the experience has had, your perspective helps tell the story of King County Dependency CASA in a meaningful way.

We're inviting you to share your story through our new Share Your CASA Volunteer Story form. Your responses may be featured in program communications; including newsletters, social media, presentations, recruitment materials, graphics, and other outreach efforts to help raise awareness of our program and inspire future CASA volunteers. Some stories may be shared anonymously or with your first name and last initial. Volunteers who are interested may also choose to be considered for a future Volunteer Spotlight.

The form only takes a few minutes to complete, and we'd love to hear from you! Click here to get started: http://bit.ly/casavolunteerstory 

Thank you for the time, compassion, and dedication you bring to the children and families you serve. Your voice can help others better understand the impact of CASA volunteers and encourage more people to join this important work.

Not sure what to write? That's okay! Whether your story is a few sentences or a longer reflection, we'd love to hear from you. Every story matters.

Help Us with Community Outreach!

We're looking for CASA volunteers who would be interested in joining us to speak briefly at upcoming community outreach presentations about their experience as a CASA volunteer.  Most presentations are held virtually.  We are especially hoping to connect with volunteers who:

• Identify as Latinx
• Are veterans or have a military affiliation
• Live in the Kent area
• Have an immigrant or refugee background

If you're interested in participating, would like to learn more, or if you're unable to attend a presentation but would still like to share your CASA experience, please

Connect with our Recruitment Coordinator, Sarah Childs, at schilds@kingcounty.gov.

Bookmark the Facebook and Instagram pages for the King County Dependency CASA Program!

Kids Are the Experts: 

New Research Highlights What Young People Say They Need to Heal

From Children's Justice Center of King County

As professionals, caregivers, and community partners, we often ask an important question: What helps children heal after abuse?  A new national study reminds us that perhaps the most important people to answer that question are children themselves.

Researchers partnered with 61 Children's Advocacy Centers across the United States and analyzed the responses of more than 3,600 children and adolescents, ages 7 to 17, who had experienced abuse. Rather than relying solely on adult perspectives, the study asked young people directly what healing looks like and what professionals can do to help.

The questions they asked were: 

1. What does healing/feeling better after child abuse mean to you,
2. What is the most important thing for you to heal/feel better after child abuse, and
3. What is the most important thing that Centers (CACs) like this can do to help you heal/feel better after child abuse? 

Their answers were remarkably consistent.

Across every age group, the number one message was simple:

"Talk with me about it."

Children shared that having someone who listens, believes them, and creates a safe space to talk was the single most important way professionals could support their healing. While healing looked different depending on a child's age, several themes emerged again and again:

• Feeling safe—both physically and emotionally.
• Being surrounded by supportive family members and trusted adults.
• Spending time with friends and people who care about them.
• Finding comfort in everyday things like music, pets, toys, art, and activities that bring joy.
• Having hope that life can feel happy again.

Perhaps the most powerful takeaway is that healing is not defined only by therapy or clinical interventions. Healing is also built through relationships, connection, safety, and being heard.

At the Children's Justice Center of King County, this research affirms the work we strive to do every day. From providing child-friendly forensic interviews to coordinating multidisciplinary responses, our goal is to ensure that every child feels safe, respected, and empowered throughout the process. We know that the way adults respond to a child's disclosure can have a lasting impact—and that listening with compassion is one of the most powerful interventions we can offer.

The study also challenges all of us to continue centering children's voices in our work. Too often, systems are designed around what adults think children need. This research reminds us that children have valuable insight into their own experiences and that when we listen to them, we build services that are more responsive, more effective, and ultimately more healing.

As one of the researchers shared in the National Children's Alliance's One in Ten podcast, "Kids are the experts." Their voices should guide not only how we respond to abuse, but how we shape the future of child advocacy.

When we truly listen to children, we don't just hear their stories—we learn how to help them heal.