 
CASA e-News
www.alaskacasa.org |
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A Powerful Voice in a Child's Life� |
Spring 2009 |
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Greetings!
Welcome to the spring issue of the Alaska CASA e-News! We are proud to announce that Anchorage Children's Court Master William Hitchcock has been named Judge of the Year by the National CASA Association. Read the details below, and be sure to congratulate him on his achievement.
In addition to that exciting news, there are lots of events on the horizon: "Ante Up for Anchorage Non-Profits" fundraising dinner and free poker tournament benefiting Friends of Alaska CASA on March 28, Child Abuse Prevention Month events planned for April, and the Anchorage CASA reunion April 22. Read more in this issue and make plans to attend an event in your area.
You'll also want to save the dates for the Anchorage Charity Walk on May 1, the Theta garage sale fundraiser in Kempton Hills on May 16, and the 2009 Alaska CASA/GAL Conference September 18-19.
We hope to see you very soon!  Marion Hallum State Director |
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 William Hitchcock Named National CASA Association Judge of the Year
Alaska CASA is delighted and proud to announce that William Hitchcock, Anchorage Children's Court Master, has been named as the National CASA Association Judge of the Year. Master Hitchock will receive his award during the awards banquet at the 28th annual National CASA Association conference in Denver on April 26th. The Awards of Excellence recognize the exceptional contributions and dedication of individuals and programs. Learn more.  Lottery Winners Chosen
Congratulations to D Owens (Juneau CASA), Cherry Galloway (Anchorage CASA) and Robbie Stell (Juneau CASA)! These three lucky CASA volunteers were chosen by lottery to attend the National CASA conference. Many thanks to FAC and OPA for sponsoring the lottery. FFCA Members to Present at ConferenceFive members of Facing Foster Care in Alaska (FFCA) were invited to present workshops at the conference. Read details in the FFCA article in this newsletter. Congratulations FFCA! Alaska will be well represented at this year's conference. |
 April Events Mark Child Abuse Prevention Month
Since 1983 April has been designated as National Child Abuse Prevention Month to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and encourage individuals and communities to support children and families. Click on the logo above to learn more. CASA programs around Alaska are busy planning special events for April:
- Anchorage - Steps for Change awards event. Tuesday, April 7th, at the Anchorage Senior Center. Begins at 5pm. Get April calendar of events.
- Fairbanks - Light of Hope luncheon. April 22nd, noon-1:30, Carlson Center
- Juneau - Light of Hope event. Date still to be determined.
- Valley - Light of Hope community event. FREE! Sunday, April 5th, Wasilla High School, 2-5pm
For details on these events, please read "News From Around the State" in this newsletter or visit our website. |
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 Friends of Alaska CASA
"Ante Up for Anchorage Non-profits" Fundraising Dinner Hosted by Anchorage East Rotary
Do you like poker and would you like to support local non-profits, including Friends of Alaska CASA? Join us March 28, 2009 at Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage.  Enjoy food, a free poker tournament and great door prizes. Tickets are $250. Contact Marion at OPA for ticket information. Get more details.
Pick-Click-Give: Support Friends of Alaska CASA (FAC) with your Permanent Fund Dividend A new law was passed this year allows Alaskans filing for their PFD on-line to donate all or part of their dividend to eligible non-profits! Now supporting Alaska's children & FAC is as simple as contributing some or all of your Permanent Fund Dividend when you file online. Be sure to select "CASAs for Children" when you apply for your 2009 PFD application. Your donation will then be distributed to FAC in fall of 2009. Learn more.
FAC is Recruiting Board Members
FAC is looking for energetic and committed people to serve on our Board of Directors. This is an exciting time in our history and we are looking for motivated people to help us achieve our goal of providing a CASA volunteer for every child who needs one. Please contact FAC's Vice PresidentLaura Haywood for more information.
Duct Tape Ball a Success!
FAC was honored to join the Duct Tape Ball for its 10th anniversary gala on February 6th at the Anchorage Marriott Downtown! The Duct Tape Ball is an annual black tie and duct tape gala in Anchorage that benefits three local non-profits each year. The Duct Tape Ball has raised over $1 million dollars for local charities since 2000. FAC joins AWAIC and Safe Harbor Inn as Duct Tape Ball partners.
Please Visit Our Website: www.friendsofalaskacasa.org
Join our eNewsletter and stay up to date on the many new and exciting Friends of Alaska CASA activities and opportunities.
Ryan Zinn, Coordinator
Friends of Alaska CASA
[email protected]
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Alaska Thetas Support CASA 
Greetings CASA,
The Alaska Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta is pleased to be in support of our Alaska CASA programs! Our alumnae group consists of nearly 160 women across the state, from Cordova to Fairbanks, Kodiak to Juneau! Many of us have fond memories of activities associated with CASA during our collegiate days, as CASA is our national philanthropy--and has been for 20 years!
Our annual garage sale fundraiser will be in Kempton Hills on Saturday, May 16th. We invite you to participate with us in some way, as volunteer or item contributor. Part of our proceeds will support CASA again this year.
We look forward to this and future activities with Alaska CASA,
Julia Martinez, President
Alaska Alumnae chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta fraternity for women
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 News From Around the State
Anchorage
New Class Sworn-In
In 2009 Anchorage kicked off the New Year with a January CASA core training. The weather created some bumps in the schedule, but we are delighted to announce that we have ten more awesome CASAs. Please welcome Rachel Andeer, Jeanne Ascraft,  Denise Berry, Jake Carbaugh, Jessica Clarkson, Travers Gee, Tasha Hotch, Holly Rogers, Alice Smith and Emily Waters. Anchorage is offering Master CASA training starting March 24. If interested, contact June.
Mentor Meetings
Please join us this month for mentor meetings.This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other CASAs and the CASA staff to discuss what's new and talk about your cases. Learn more.
Steps for Change Awards EventThe Ancohrage child abuse awareness committee is sponsoring the Steps for Change Awards Event which will be held on April 7th at 5 pm at the Anchorage Senior Center. Please see the invitation and nomination form. Come join us and celebrate the small steps that we take every day for children and families who are affected by child abuse and neglect. Learn more.CASA Reunion: Please Join Us April 22nd
The Alaska CASA program and Friends of Alaska CASA invite you to attend a CASA reunion to be held on April 22nd at 5:30 pm. Please join the CASA staff, FAC and GALs at the BP Energy Center Building for dinner and a talk by Dr. Laura Jones (a great continuing education opportunity). Please let June or LeeAnn know if you have not received your invitation. CASA Kudos
Here's what an OCS worker recently had to say about CASAs:
The CASA volunteers are an incredible asset, especially with complex cases and large families that require more time than a social worker has to properly monitor and provide for the medical and educational needs of the children. I wish we had more of them.
-June Haisten
Fairbanks
Unfortunately, the state hiring freeze has prevented us from hiring Jane's replacement as program coordinator. We currently have a volunteer assisting part time with some program management duties, and have hopes to be able to offer a training class later this spring, as a number of people in Fairbanks have expressed interest in becoming a CASA volunteer over the past few months. Stay tuned!
Juneau
Shouldn't we be starting to see signs of spring yet? With all the snow and the temperature still very low, we are beginning to doubt that there will be an end to winter. Makes you wonder why they bother to have spring and summer clothes in any of the stores.
New Class Sworn-In
The Juneau program just completed training and has seven new volunteers. Please welcome Marla Berg, Jeff Bush, Andrea Doll, Rose Etl, Patrick Horan, Ann Marbourg and Kris Weixelman.  We were fortunate to have Department of Administration Commissioner Annette Kreitzer and Director Rachel Levitt. Learn more.
Continuing Education We just put out our schedule of brown bag continuing education training. I am excited to have an interactive court tour, trainings on relapse prevention, the effects of domestic violence on children and independent living as part of the schedule.
CASA Kudos
Robbie Stell is doing a great job with a challenging teen that is in foster care in Craig. Robbie maintains contact with her and has her fingers on the pulse of her situation. Not easy when the youth is in a different community. Jill Burkert has my appreciation for accepting a case that I was appointed to right in the middle of training. Jill jumped right in to IEPs, special education meetings and a complicated case and has already made good things happen for this youth. My appreciation to the Juneau volunteer! You guys rock!
-Lynn Squires-White
Valley
Rally in the Valley! Wow, what a great few months we've had here in the Valley! The Valley CASA Program just graduated the largest class it's ever had. Congratulations to (front row, L to R), Mike Malone, Lynette Ortolano, Vickie Loggins, Mary Duhamel, and (back row, L to R), Jennifer Lucas, Diana Reinart, Danielle Dodge, Danita Dodge, Sharon Dwyer, Melinda Dale, and Nancy Kirchoff. Because of these 11 new volunteers, we have been able to assign CASAs to 22 more children. We look forward to the many wonderful things these new folks will bring to our program and the youth they advocate for. Thank you for your commitment, your enthusiasm and all your hard work!
Valley Light of Hope Event Update
We have been working very hard to make this year's Light of Hope event the best one yet. Please plan to bring your family to this free event on Sunday, April 5th, from 2pm to 5pm at Wasilla High School. While the CASA program leads this important ceremony, it is only with the amazing assistance of some of our fellow non-profit agencies that we've managed to plan such a large community event. Learn more.
We Still Need More CASA Volunteers!
We're not done yet! The Valley CASA Program would like to grow even more. Active recruitment efforts for the next couple months will hopefully result in an even bigger class for our spring core training session. The next training session begins April 29th. Please spread the word to family and friends that the Valley CASA program is still looking for motivated men and women from all reaches of the Mat-Su Valley.
We would love to hear from you,
-Cecily Skoog-Moore and Jamey Duhamel
Kenaitze Indian Tribe CASA Program
Kenaitze Indian Tribe CASA has seen great growth and wonderful accomplishments this year. This March marks our fifth anniversary of providing quality advocacy to children in tribal court!!! In the upcoming months we are looking to have a volunteer trainer/recruiter; as the only staff of Kenaitze CASA, I am saying amen! This will allow my schedule to be a little more freed up to better manage the program, seek outside funding and expand our services.
Also in the works is a partnership with our tribal cultural and education department to provide extensive, ongoing training to all of our volunteers on tribal culture and the Dena'ina culture. Thank you to Sasha Lindgren for that.
Next week our tribal judges will be swearing in our 13th volunteer. Because we are unique in the fact that we have more volunteers than cases, Kenaitze CASA is collaborating and excited about working with the Office of Public Advocacy on hopefully providing CASA volunteers in Kenai state court in the future.
On an ending note, in January Kenaitze Tribal Court swore in two more tribal judges, making a total of five tribal judges for the Kenaitze Indian Tribe.
I would like to thank everyone for their support and for helping us grow.
-Kym Miller
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 Facing Foster Care in Alaska
The youth and alumni of FFCA have been working adamantly to support the current foster care legislation sponsored by state Representative Les Gara and Senator Bettye Davis. If passed, SB 105 and HB 126 would create opportunities for job training, college tuition waivers, school stability, housing assistance, and mandatory home visits for youth in foster care and those preparing to age out.
At the invitation of the National CASA Association, FFCA members Amanda, Angel, Candice, Michael, and Kaylee will be presenting two workshops at the annual National CASA conference in Denver this April. The topics to be presented include the culture of foster care and education and foster care. At the recent retreat in February, FFCA invited their allies to come watch various presentations on foster care topics important to the youth and alumni of FFCA. The response was really positive.
The next FFCA retreat is set for May 15th-17th at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center 10980 Hillside Drive. If you know of a youth or alumni who may be interested in attending please contact Amanda Metivier at 230-8237, or email [email protected]. The retreats are filling up fast so please make referrals early
- Amanda Metivier
Editor's Note:
National CASA is looking for artists to illustrate the cover of The Connection magazine. An honorarium of $250 will be provided to the youth whose work is selected. For more information or to nominate a young artist, please email Michael Skinner Mendelow, managing editor, at [email protected].
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From the Bench of... Master William Hitchcock
Achieving Educational Success for Foster Children, Part 2
When
we talk about educational issues for children and youth in foster care, we tend
to think mainly about K-12. Yet over the
past few years, infants and toddlers have been the fastest growing segment of
children entering foster care nationally.
A publication called Blueprints for Change, a collaboration
between Casey Family Programs and the ABA Center
on Children and the Law, relates that a
2005 national study of 2,813 children in care found that 40% of toddlers and 50% of preschoolers had
significant behavioral and developmental needs.
Yet only 21% of those children were receiving any services. If they are to enter school ready to learn,
they must have those needs addressed.
We
must insure that every young child entering foster care has a comprehensive
health exam and a developmental screening.
If disabilities are not identified early on, we increase the risk for
significant developmental delays throughout childhood. CASAs can play a critical role in making sure
this happens and advocating for needed services. Judges must be informed at each stage of the
case about what efforts are underway in this area. My hope is that we will add items to our
judicial checklist on education that will address this preschool population to
better insure that services are provided.
Practice
Tips
What a CASA volunteer can do -
- Be
prepared to report to the judge about the child's developmental progress.
- Know the early intervention services available in your area.
- Learn
more about educational advocacy for preschoolers by completing the National CASA E-Learning
series on this topic. Ask your CASA program coordinator how to sign up.
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| Calendar of Events
- March 28 - Ante Up for Anchorage Non-Profits hosted by Anchorage East Rotary. Captain Cook Hotel.
- April 5 - Valley Light of Hope Event, Wasilla High School, 2-5pm. FREE!
- April 7 - Anchorage Steps for Change event, Anchorage Senior Center, 5pm.
- April 22 - Anchorage CASA Reunion, BP Energy Center, 5:30pm.
- April 22 - Fairbanks Light of Hope luncheon, Carlson Center. Noon.
- April 25-27 National CASA Conference, Denver.
- April 29 - Valley CASA core training begins.
 May 1 - Anchorage Charity Walk.
- May 16 - Alaska Theta garage sale fundraiser, Kempton Hills.
- September 18,19 - 2009 Alaska CASA/GAL Conference, Anchorage.
Make plans to attend now!
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 National CASA News
A Message from CEO Michael Piraino 
Reports suggest that the economic collapse is already contributing to an increase in child maltreatment. Many families are now stressed beyond their ability to cope. In times like this, more is demanded of us. That is why we need you with us for the long haul."Read more.
Organic Bouquet is National CASA's source for eco-friendly, sustainable and fairly traded products.
Support Children and Give a Gift that Keeps Giving!
Celebrate spring with certified organic sunflowers and Organic Bouquet will donate 10% of the proceeds from the sale (or any product purchased using the special link above or from shopcasa.org) to National CASA. 
Please consider telling your friends about this opportunity, and give organically! Great for Mother's Day, birthdays, anniversaries....
If you would rather order by phone, call 877-899-2468 and mention that you would like National CASA to benefit from your purchase. | |
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