Name and role with the organization.
My name is Samantha Johnson, and I’m the Development & Marketing Manager for CASA of Kent County.
Brief overview of your CASA and what you do.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs harness the power of community volunteers to provide a voice for children who are navigating foster care. Our program specifically serves children in Kent County who have an active case in the 17th Circuit Court Family Division. The CASA team recruits, screens, trains, and provides ongoing support and supervision for community volunteers who speak on behalf of children in court.
Our volunteers are extraordinary individuals who undergo a thorough training process to learn about the ins and outs of Kent County child welfare, childhood trauma, cultural humility, court reporting, and more! Once volunteers complete training, they begin their advocacy efforts, building a relationship with a child or sibling group, their family, and the entire team of professionals working on the case. In an overburdened system, volunteers help build bridges and fill important gaps. They report all the information they gather to the judge each quarter through an official court report. CASA volunteers commit to staying on the family court case until each child is in a safe, loving permanent home.
As CASA’s Development & Marketing Manager, I help lead our fundraising and outreach efforts. From events to grants to volunteer recruitment, I have a hand in securing and stewarding resources to support CASA’s mission.
Please give us a brief overview of CASA’s strategic priorities that are supported through this grant.
With support from the Steelcase Foundation, the CASA team is focused on the following strategic priorities this year:
• Building intentional relationships with supporters, volunteers, and community partners.
• Implementing demographic surveys to inform and strengthen our efforts to build a volunteer base that more closely reflects the children we serve.
• Simplifying and documenting core processes to provide more excellent advocacy for our clients.
CASA of Kent County recently committed to a long-term goal to serve every child in foster care by 2035. Our current strategic priorities will help us to lay a strong foundation for sustainable growth.
How does this work align with broader efforts to support holistic, culturally responsive approaches to meeting children and families where they are and helping them to get to where they aspire to go?
One of CASA’s organizational values is to “be curious.” When we train new volunteers, we ask them to approach each new situation with curiosity and humility. Our goal is to advocate for the children’s best interests. To do that means supporting the child’s connection to their family and community. Whenever safely possible, our volunteers advocate for a goal of reunification.
This work does not happen in isolation. CASA works in partnership with Kent County’s five private foster care agencies – Bethany Christian Service, Catholic Charities West Michigan, D.A. Blodget – St. John’s, Samaritas, and Wellspring Lutheran Services – and other child welfare professionals to help support children and families impacted by foster care.
How does youth voice shape your work?
Our entire program revolves around uplifting youth voices to be heard in places where they would otherwise be absent. In every CASA court report, there is a section called “Child Wishes” where the CASA volunteer shares requests and desires directly from their children themselves.
Sometimes, with younger children, wishes are innocent and simple: Hanna wishes to ride a pony. Matthew wishes for candy. Often, though, this section of the CASA report amplifies essential needs: Miguel wishes to see his siblings more frequently. Mikayla wishes to spend more time with her mother. The judges making life-changing decisions seldom get the chance to speak with the children whose lives hang in the balance. CASA brings their voices to life in important spaces.
What do you hope is the lasting change of CASA for both the children and families it serves, as well as the broader community?
When a CASA volunteer is appointed to advocate for a child’s best interests, they interrupt what is often a generational cycle of trauma, abuse, and neglect. While children and families receive support from many professionals, they often support an extensive caseload.
In that context, CASA volunteers provide something uniquely consistent and child focused. A CASA volunteer not only brings a powerful voice to children’s needs, but also uplifts children’s desires. Volunteers help to connect children with resources and support that might otherwise be missed. Children with an advocate are also less likely to return to the child welfare system. CASA advocacy not only supports children and their families during a time of crisis, but also helps prepare them for a future of stability and success.
Over time, this individualized advocacy contributes to broader system-level impact. CASA strives to decrease the total number of gaps in Kent County’s child welfare system so more children and families can receive the thorough, dedicated support they deserve.
Is there anything else you’d like to lift-up about this work?
Volunteers make CASA of Kent County’s work possible. If you – or someone you know – are interested in becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate, check out our website at casakentco.org!
