As you know, the first quarter of 2025 has been a turbulent time for those of us in the nonprofit sector. We have witnessed threats to federal pass-through funding, cuts to essential human services that youth and families rely on, and growing fear in our community. With all the changes and unknowns, the CASA house remains a safe place for the most vulnerable children and youth of our community, and CASA Advocates continue to show up and stand up for every one of them. Thanks to your support, we are holding strong and will stay positively focused on our work to make meaningful impact on the future generations of Santa Cruz County.
Unfortunately, due to these current circumstances, CASA’s funding is currently absent from the proposed California state budget. To help, Board Member and former Assembly Member Mark Stone lead a group of CASA Executive Directors from around the state in advocacy for continued state funding. They met with legislators in Sacramento on February 5th, to highlight the vital work we do. We are grateful to Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and Senator John Laird for signing a letter of support, standing with CASA programs across California to protect this critical funding, which remains at risk.
Amidst all this, we remain focused on the children we serve, advocating for their needs. Even the youngest of children in foster care receive supportive services from CASA, including a one-year-old that an Advocate has helped the parents build meaningful moments with their baby. With Dad, they attend story time at the local library, nurturing early literacy and bonding. With Mom, the Advocate will soon be joining them for gymnastics lessons, providing encouragement as the baby explores movement and social interaction.
This quarter, we are excited to announce new leadership roles at our Board of Directors, with Programs and Impact Director at Community Action Board, Paz Padilla as our new board president and Retired Santa Cruz Community Credit Union Vice President,Richard Cooper as board vice president. We also extend our deepest gratitude to Bill Parro as his term comes to an end.
This year’s For the Love of Children Luncheon was a powerful gathering of supporters who share our commitment to children and families. We heard truly inspiring stories from those we serve and are grateful to have raised $35,000 for the CASA Children’s Fund, providing essential and special items for the children and families that are system involved, so that they may heal, grown, and thrive.
And now for some numbers.
This quarter, we served 110 children, 18 children of whom were newly assigned, waiting only an average of 10.3 days from referral to match.
· 27 were aged 0-5
· 16 were aged 6-11
· 55 were aged 12-18
· 12 were over 18 years old
· 48% of children and youth served this quarter were Hispanic or Latino.
· 68% were in Dependency Care, 30% were in Juvenile Justice, and 2% were in both (dual status)
Your commitment to CASA creates lasting change for the children and families we serve, and we are so grateful for your support. Thank you for staying strong as a community so that we can continue to give every child the support they deserve. Together, we are creating brighter futures and stronger communities.
To show your support, we invite you to join our community for Move for CASA, a casual, all-ages walk through the beautiful Elkhorn Slough on May 3, 2025. This free event is open to everyone, with an option to fundraise in support of CASA of Santa Cruz County. Learn more www.casaofsantacruz.org/moveforcasa
Once again, best wishes for a wonderful new year.
