New Year’s Resolution! Become ‘a difference maker’ for a foster child

Besides exercising more and eating less, how about making a New Year’s Resolution to help America’s most vulnerable young people, foster children.

How about resolving to help us help these boys and girls, who have been neglected and abused, discarded and traumatized.

Consider this: Less than half of foster children graduate from high school, increasing the chances that they will end up in poverty, homeless, jobless and possibly even in jail.

We are proud to say that with the help of our CASAs – Court Appointed Special Advocates – the graduation rate for our foster children is nearly 50 percent above the national average.

We would do even better if we had more CASAs, who serve as a voice for the child.

Each CASA represents one foster child. They get to know their needs and challenges. The CASA then provides information and recommendations that help a judge decide what’s best for the child. The CASA is an advocate as well as an investigator, mentor and friend.

Research shows that foster children do better in school and in life when they have a CASA.

“A CASA is a difference maker,” said Ann Marie Binsner, Executive Director of CASA/Prince George’s County. “A CASA can help a foster child succeed.”

Currently we have about 150 CASAs for the county’s nearly 500 foster children.

Let’s resolve to provide a CASA to every foster child and make a real difference in the New Year.

If you are interested in learning more about how to become a CASA, please call 301-209-0491, email us at volunteer@pgcasa.org or download an application at www.pgcasa.org. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzGXyzP_CBw&t=9s to learn about a typical CASA.