CASA of Pinal County held its annual Volunteer Brunch on April 25th in Florence, which was sponsored by generous grant from the Arizona Lottery.

Presiding Juvenile Judge Brenda E. Oldham spoke before a full house as the group celebrated the work of our advocates.  Kelley Kimble was honored as the 2015 CASA Ambassador of the Year for her 10 years of service.  This honor is a reflection of her dedication and commitment to the Pinal County Superior Court and to the foster children that fall under the Court's protection/jurisdiction. Kelley has taken on a variety of foster care cases and regardless of the challenges, Kelley is always there for her child as a CASA.

Kelley has always been diligent in her duties as the "eyes and ears" of the Judge, helping bring community awareness of CASA/ foster children, and helping facilitate CASA POD (team) meeting in the Apache Junction / Gold Canyon Area. She has also developed a keen understanding of the Dependency Court Process, working as a team member on behalf of a foster child, and most importantly of all, developing good relationships with a foster child while assigned to a case, and standing up in court to advocate for the child's best interest.  Amazingly, Kelley has been able to do all of this while working full-time in the insurance industry, attending college, and still finding time to learn how to play new instruments, including the acoustic guitar!

The theme of the brunch this year was "CASA advocates are the rock of our organization". As a token of appreciation, each CASA received a years of service certificate and a gift bag that included personalized business cards and holder.  After a local youth group learned about what our advocates do, they took on the task to author a list of words that best described a CASA.  Compliments like caring, loving, brave, faithful, dependable and angel were some of the inscriptions. The children painted and brightly decorated nearly 85 rocks so that each CASA received one with a special message.

The Superior Court in Maricopa County is a 2015 recipient of seven Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). Two of the seven programs awarded were initiatives of CASA of Maricopa County!

The awarded programs were:

CASA Best for Babies Collaborative Program - CASA developed this specialized program to improve outcomes for high-risk infants, toddlers, and their families.  Through Best for Babies, CASA offers specialized training, resources and ongoing support in the form of bi-monthly advocate forums to any CASA volunteer working with this population to help move children through the foster care system more quickly while providing increased attention on a child's developmental needs.

Court Orientation for Dependent Youth (CODY) Project - In cooperation with community and court stakeholders, CASA hosts the CODY Project to educate foster youth 12 years of age and older about the dependency court process, offers explanations on the rights of a foster youth and provides helpful take-a-way materials for youth to plan for their upcoming hearings.

Congratulations to the entire CASA of Maricopa County team!

Pinal County is seeking new volunteers to make a difference in the lives of local foster children.  Foster Care Review Board members regularly review the case of every child in foster care to ensure they are receiving necessary services, and that they are ultimately placed in safe, permanent homes. READ MORE

Each volunteer is appointed to a three year term, and is assigned to a review board that meets one day each month.  No prior experience is required, but volunteers must undergo a criminal background check and initial orientation training. Board members review each child's case, at least every six months, to monitor the progress being made and advise the court of necessary recommendations.

2015 Legislative Summary from ACESDV
 

The Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence(ACESDV) has released its 2015 Legislative Summary. The document, which can be accessed here, contains brief descriptions of legislation relating to family law and human services, criminal justice, sexual and domestic violence, and child welfare.