Imprint Magazine | Michael Fitzgerald
"For decades, hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the country have had a rare opportunity to shape the lives of foster children. Court-Appointed Special Advocates meet with kids, confer with social workers and lawyers, and write official reports to judges. These unique relationships begin when the juvenile courts assign a “CASA” or “guardian ad litem.”
But today, the 40-year-old organization overseeing this national network of volunteers faces unprecedented scrutiny. Following a financial review, in early 2023 the U.S. Department of Justice declared the National CASA/GAL Association for Children a “high-risk” grantee, freezing the group’s largest funding source. Leaders of the $16 million Seattle-based nonprofit have attempted to soothe alarmed employees, saying accounting glitches that surfaced during the review will soon be fixed. Few of the government’s specific concerns have been made public, and many employees began the new year on unpaid furlough and unsure of their futures."
“THERE’S A LOT WE DO IN CHILD WELFARE THAT HAS A THIN OR MIXED EVIDENCE BASE. ALL OF IT SHOULD BE SCRUTINIZED, AND ALL OF IT SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO FURTHER STUDY.”
— UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY PROFESSOR JILL DUERR BERRICK