Playing and Friendship for Children with Disabilities
Play and friendship can help children with disabilities develop social, communication and physical skills, feel good, and have fun.


You can help your child practice play skills like listening, sharing, cooperating and taking turns.

You can help playdates go well by choosing appropriate toys, setting up play areas, and guiding children through tricky situations.
140 CASA volunteers served 283 children in June and helped find safe, permanent homes for 20 of those children.
131 children are still waiting for someone to be their voice.

Recruiter's Corner

It only takes 30 minutes to learn about the difference a CASA can make in a child's life.

Register for a virtual CASA 101 information session here.

Our next CASA training will begin on August 16, 2022.


"When you connect to the heart of a child, everything is possible."
Dr. Karen Purvis
Child.tcu.edu


Maintaining Meaningful Connections
The COVID-19 Pandemic made us realize how important family and community connections are. Society realized how we took for granted attending church, going to the gym, having dinner with friends, having in-person visits with our families, etc. Here we are two years in and still dealing with the after effects of the pandemic. Sibling and parent visits continue to be disrupted due to the Covid Virus. CASA Volunteers have also had to reschedule visits due to quarantining. Family and community connections build resiliency. One of the roles of CASA Volunteers is to assure that their CASA children have meaningful connections.



Remember to keep your CASA Volunteer file up-to-date with your current
auto insurance card, driver's license, and contact information. 
And remember to visit your CASA child face-to-face at least once a month.
In June, the Children's Advocacy Center provided advocacy and forensic interviews to 74 children.

In the River Region, 22 children and families were provided 46 hours of counseling.


Anatomy of a Hurricane
Hurricanes are a triple threat bringing high winds, soaking rain, and flying debris. Hurricanes can cause devastation and property destruction on a massive scale, making proper disaster mitigation and a well-planned response all the more important. While all coastal areas are at risk for hurricanes, Louisiana is particularly vulnerable.
 
In addition, hurricanes are capable of causing flooding and damage hundreds of miles inland.
  • Eye: The eye is the "hole" at the center of the storm. Winds are light in this area. Skies are partly cloudy, and sometimes even clear. 
  • Eye wall: The eye wall is a ring of thunderstorms. These storms swirl around the eye. The wall is where winds are strongest and rain is heaviest.
  • Rain bands: Bands of clouds and rain go far out from a hurricane's eye wall. These bands stretch for hundreds of miles. They contain thunderstorms and sometimes tornadoes.
  • H-hour: When 39 mph winds reach the coastline of Louisiana

Being prepared during hurricane season is absolutely vital to the safety of you and your family! Get a Game Plan offers families a lot of support and ideas about keeping yourself safe.

July Webinars/Conferences
*CASA Volunteers are required to receive 12 Continuing Education hours per year. Only 4 can be articles, newsletters, and films.


July: TBRI Fridays


Brave children tell their stories. Courageous adults help these children through their trauma and assist them in finding a safe future. Buttons of Bravery represent the journey of one child for a year under the care of Child Advocacy Services. 
Want to Join Our Team?
We're Hiring!

We are looking for caring individuals who want to join our team of passionate adults that work to bring Voice, Healing, and Security to our community's children. Please send a resume with cover letter to lpenn@childadv.net.


In 2021, Child Advocacy Services CASA Program served 446 children with 188 volunteers dedicating over 6,890 hours. The CAC Program provided 707 forensic interviews and 536 counseling sessions to children and families.

YOU can help us do more by investing in services for children!