When Jayden was born positive for illegal drugs, he and his toddler sister Jade were placed in foster care. For the next year, the pair had only each other and their volunteer advocate Sandy to rely on consistently. When family members from another state came forward and offered to provide the children with a permanent home, Sandy knew she had to meet the family before recommending the children move.

Go to Dallas CASA's blog   to learn more.

A neighbor called Child Protective Services after three-year-old Esme was seen wandering around her apartment complex. While Esme's mother went to drug rehabilitation, Esme lived with her grandmother. But taking in her granddaughter put a financial strain on Esme's grandmother. Without a car seat for Esme, her grandmother stayed at home and relied on friends for errands, straining her relationships and ability to care for Esme. When Esme's Dallas CASA volunteer learned Esme did not have car seat, she was able to access funds through Dallas CASA to provide Esme's grandmother with a car seat.

State Farm recently granted Dallas CASA $25,000 for the purchase of car seats to keep children safe. Thanks to corporate grants like the one from State Farm, Dallas CASA volunteers can help children and support the needs of their caregivers.

Dallas CASA is pleased to announce that former Dallas CASA board members, Bill Smith and Jim Thompson, are joining Dallas CASA's Advisory Board. Bill Smith is the retired president of Network Operations of AT&T. He joined the CASA board in 2011 and served for six years, co-chairing the Champion of Children Award Dinner in 2013. Jim Thompson is the Chairman and CEO of Preston Hollow Capital. Jim served as a Dallas CASA board member for eight years and as the Honorary Chair and a sponsor of Parade of Playhouses for many years. 

The Comerica Bank Prom Dress Drive brought teens in foster care to Dallas CASA for dream shopping trips. Over two Saturdays in March, Dallas CASA's upstairs was turned into a prom boutique, complete with dresses, hair and makeup stylists, shoes and accessories and even alterations. Members of Dallas CASA's Children's Council orchestrated the shopping days with Courtney Hopping, Megan Martinez and Victoria Nugent serving as event chairs.

Jewelers for Children recently funded a $75,000 National CASA grant to Dallas CASA to support recruiting and training an additional 40 volunteers to serve abused and neglected children. "Our board has always been focused on charities that primarily benefit children in need," said David Rocha, the executive director of Jewelers for Children. "CASA excels at helping the most vulnerable children in communities around the country during a very trying time in their young lives."

Thank you to the Highland Park High School CASA Club which raised $5,350 for Dallas CASA. These high school students went door to door on a Sunday in March raising money and awareness for the children served by Dallas CASA. Led by President Ben Kroencke, the club is one of the largest at HPHS. Ben is the fourth Kroencke brother, all sons of Dallas CASA board member Dave Kroecnke, to lead the club. A CASA family tradition, Mindy McMinn, wife of Dallas CASA board member Woody McMinn, is the student faculty advisor.