A Note from National CASA
May is National Foster Care Month, and we want to share with you a dramatic week-long media event that National CASA will stage in our nation’s capital to put a face to the thousands of abused and neglected children who need caring, permanent homes.
National CASA will produce 4,250 life-sized stand-up displays representing images of children in care. Six versions of the stand-up images will illustrate the diversity of children in foster care and the over-representation of children of color.
Beginning Monday, May 19, 850 of these images will appear on the grounds of the Washington Monument, representing the number of children who enter the foster care system each day. For the remainder of the week, through Friday, May 23, 850 more cutouts of children will appear each day. These cutouts, totaling 4,250 by Friday, will represent the children who entered foster care during the workweek. A variety of messages from foster youth will be featured on the stand-up displays.
The Forgotten Children display will provide a powerful backdrop for media interviews. ABC’s Good Morning America has described this project as “very newsworthy.” CBS TV star Danny Pino will kick off the event with a satellite TV media tour conducted live from the site.
We will keep you informed, especially if the event generates public awareness opportunities for your own program that week. This is a pilot project, in anticipation that we will roll this out to the CASA/GAL network in 2009.
This event is just two weeks before our national conference in Washington, DC. We believe it will be an exciting prelude, helping to build momentum for the conference and our visits on Capitol Hill. The cutouts will be displayed at the conference, along with photos/video of the display on the Mall. The cutouts will also be made available to participants in CASA Meets Congress on June 10 to take to congressional offices for display in those offices for several days. To learn more about the National CASA Annual Conference and CASA Meets Congress, visit www.casanet.org
Jim Clune, Chief Communications Offices, NCASAA
Film Opportunity
Attention Program Directors and anyone interested in putting together an educational film for your CASA program! Filmmaker John Upton, who worked with Bitterroot CASA earlier this year, will be returning to Montana in July and would love to collaborate with other local CASA programs. Upton helped Bitterroot CASA put together a short film that can be viewed on their website at www.bitterrootcasa.org. The film got a great response at the Bitterroot Light of Hope event last month, especially because of its focus on a child's perspective. Contact Julie at (406) 961-4535 for more information about this exciting opportunity!
Park-2-Park Montana
Registrations for the 2008 Park-2-Park bike ride have been rolling in. Registration for new riders began Thursday, April 3 and can be found at www.park2parkmontana.org. Park-2-Park Montana is an annual fundraiser for CASA of Montana and will take place this year September 1-5. The nearly 400-mile ride takes cyclists from the KOA campground in St. Mary – on the eastern side of Glacier National Park – down along US 89 through Dupuyer, Choteau, Great Falls, White Sulphur Springs and Livingston and conclude at Gardiner near Yellowstone National Park. For more information, please visit the Park-2-Park website by clicking the link above.
2008 CASA Awards
April 24 - CASA Award winners pose with CASA of Montana Director, Ellen Bush (right) at the annual Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect Conference in Missoula. From left they are Program Director Jamie Campbell, Volunteer Joni Stormo, and Program Director Bill Collins. Judge David G. Rice was recognized as CASA Judge of the Year, but was unable to attend the conference.
On Thursday, April 24th, CASA of Montana recognized the people who work for abused and neglected children in district courts around the state. At the annual Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect Conference, Michael Piraino, CEO of the National CASA Association, presented awards to the CASA Judge, Directors, and Volunteer Advocate of the Year for 2008. An independent committee of three reviewers selected the honorees based on their significant contributions to CASA through their work with children and families.
The first award of the day went to Judge David G. Rice, a devoted supporter of CASA in the Havre area since 2003. Friends and coworkers emphasized Judge Rice’s dedication to protecting children’s rights. During his time with the court system, Judge Rice formed a Child Abuse and Neglect Committee, made up of representatives from various agencies, which meets to determine how community agencies can work together to protect the rights and well-being of children.
Next, Piraino along with CASA of Montana Executive Director, Ellen Bush, recognized two wonderful Program Directors. Jamie Campbell, Director of CASA for Kids in Flathead County’s 11th Judicial District, earns the respect and affection of all those she interacts with. She has a record of going beyond what is expected of her to serve children and the CASA program. Campbell works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure children are treated with dignity and respect.
Another tireless Program Director, Bill Collins has dedicated himself to CASA since its inception in Helena in 1998. For the past ten years, program volunteers have been amazed by the scope and breadth of his work. Collins devotes so much time and energy to guiding his volunteers, it’s easy for them to forget that he has even more important things to do. His number one priority is always seeing that the interests of children are well represented. Friends and peers respect Collins’s ability to treat everyone equally and build a rapport with all parties involved in a CASA case.
The final award went to the CASA Volunteer of the Year. Four qualified individuals were nominated, including Ann Gilkey of the Helena CASA Advocates for Kids program, Linda Mettam of Great Falls CASA-CAN, Rita Ricker of Yellowstone CASA and Joni Stormo of Missoula. The award winner, Joni Stormo, has been a dedicated volunteer for CASA of Missoula since 1997. For over ten years, she has committed her time and energy unselfishly to improving advocacy for children. Within the world of child abuse and neglect prevention, Joni is regarded not only as a volunteer but also as a respected friend and mentor.
Congratulations to all of the 2008 CASA Award winners, keep up the good work!
Local BAR awards with Chief Justice Karla Gray
District Court Judge Holly Brown stands with retiring Chief Justice Karla Gray after they honored Anita Nybo and Nancy Mitchell, co-directors of the Gallatin County CASAlGAL program.
April 28 - Anita Nybo and Nancy Mitchell, co-directors of the Gallatin County CASAlGAL program, were awarded the 18th Judicial District Bar Pro Bono award for their work on training and mentoring volunteer guardians ad litem who advocate for abused and neglected children in the court system. They work with local attorneys who serve pro bono with the GALs.
The Gallatin County CASA program in Bozeman is one of 15 programs in the state. About 40 CASA volunteers are serving more than 70 children in the 18th Judicial District.
For more information, call the CASA/GAL office at 582-2051 or Ellen M. Bush at CASA of Montana at 866 863 2272 (Helena).
Helena Run/Walk to Benefit Kids
Helena runners and walkers of all ages showed their support for CASA-Advocates for Kids on April 19th, 2008. Despite a return to wintery weather, the CASA Run/Walk was a great success. Participants were in high spirits even as snow began to fall. View photographs from the event at the helenacasa website .
Bitterroot CASA Light of Hope Banquet
The 5th Annual Light of Hope event in Hamilton saw a large turnout on April 4th. Program Director Julie Crane reported that around 200 Bitterroot CASA supporters attended the event, which raised over $18,000.
The event was a great success and attendees enjoyed learning more about CASA, especially as it was presented from the point of view of a former CASA child.