Friends Board President William Payne and Kevin L. Greenwood
Deputy Director, Survivor Services and CASA of Franklin County Team Leader were interviewed by WSYX6/ABC in Columbus at the Ohio CASA annual conference. They spoke about the rewards of volunteering to help abused and neglected children.
Study reveals “positive impact CASA volunteers have on Ohio children” and experiences of children in foster care
“Partnering with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Department of Medicaid, the Ohio CASA/GAL Association commissioned an independent evaluation led by the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC), located at The Ohio State University.
The GRC research team focused on the impact appointing a CASA volunteer had on stability, health and well-being for children who had been removed from their home as a result of abuse or neglect. This study controlled for a range of other factors which could confound results. An effort of this scope has not been attempted previously.”
You can learn more about the findings here and download the full Final Report here.
Thank you for join with Friends of CASA of Franklin County, Ohio in Fostering Hope and Dignity
for abused and neglected children!
FINAL UPDATE: Friends reached its initial goal of $5,000 in the first week, and at the end of the five week crowdfunding program in May, raised $14,650! Thank you to our donors — through their support, we can provide a travel bag to hundreds of Franklin County children moving from foster home to foster home! NO CHILD SHOULD HAVE TO CARRY THEIR PERSONAL BELONGINGS IN A TRASH BAG! We also thank The Columbus Foundation for the opportunity to participate in Better Together.
Read the latest news from Friends of CASA in our monthly updates
November 2023
Friends of CASA Speak Up for Children Appeal – Give Today
Read more here.
August 2023
CASA’s compassionate volunteers have given over 7,600 volunteers hours in 2023 helping 616 child victims of abuse and neglect assigned them by the Franklin County courts!
However, the need is especially high for more male volunteers of diverse backgrounds to work with boys of all ages who have been abused and neglected.
Read more here.
June 2023
Students from Sullivant, Weinland Park and Devonshire Elementary Schools in Columbus help make a difference through See Kids Dream.
From cash donations to four big boxes of school supplies and other educational materials collected through Project Dream, these students put heart and soul into helping child victims of abuse and neglect.
Read more here.
May 2023
CASA volunteers expect to serve 800 children this year.
As new volunteers are sworn in, abused and neglected children are still waiting to be assigned a GAL. A new volunteer training session starts July 9 – and it will be virtual.
Read more here..
March 2023
New GALs complete training!
Congratulations to CASA's 12 newest volunteer Guardians ad Litem sworn in last week after extensive training!
Read more here.
February 2023
2022 Numbers
Together, CASA volunteer Guardians ad Litem gave over 15,000 volunteer hours in service last year to nearly 700 Franklin County children who have been abused and neglected.
Read more here.
January 2023
2022 RECAP
Friends and CASA of Franklin County, Ohio together offer our deepest appreciation and gratitude to donors and grantors for their support last year – support which subsequently helps CASA volunteers in their service to hundreds of abused and neglected children.
Read more here.
December 2022
HELP GIVE A CHILD HOPE AND HEALING!
Your support helps change the life of an abused and neglected child — and enhances the extensive training and knowledge of Guardians ad Litem as they help children learn to overcome and cope with emotional and physical effects of child abuse.
Read more here.
October 2022
OHIO CASA 2022 CELEBRATE KIDS! CONFERENCE
Look for information coming later this month regarding our 2022 Speak Up For Children Update & Appeal. Your support makes a difference in the lives of hundreds of abused and neglected children served by CASA of Franklin County volunteer GALs each year!
Read more here.
August 2022
COMMUNITY SHARES OF MIDOHIO PROFILES FRIENDS
Did you know? CASA Guardians ad Litem are generally assigned the most at-risk and severe cases of child abuse and neglect in Franklin County.
Read more here.
July 2022
OHIO LAW WORKS FOR CHILDREN
Did you know? Ohio law requires that all child victims of abuse and neglect be appointed a Guardian ad Litem (GAL). GALs are appointed to advocate in court for the child's best interest in cases of abuse and neglect.
Read more here.
June 2022
GRANTORS TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Thank you to our recent grantors Friends thanks the Crane Family Foundation, AEP Foundation, Park National Bank and the Cardinal Health Foundation for their continued commitment to helping CASA Guardians ad Litem (GALs) as they serve children in Franklin County who have been abused and neglected.
Read more here.
May 2022
CREATING AWARENESS
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month & National Foster Care Month; both observances are significant to the work of Friends and CASA — and the Guardians ad Litem (GALs) who work with children who have been abused and neglected.
Read more here.
April 2022
FRIENDS 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
The 2021 Annual Report provides information on our activities during 2021, and includes specifics on the specialty training programs funded for 2022. Learn more about our focus and the grantors who helped make a difference to abused and neglected children.
Read more here.
March 2022
CASA DAY IN OHIO …
Join with Friends and CASA of Franklin County on April 5 for CASA Day in Ohio. This event is a recognition of the important work being done by CASA volunteers throughout our state and a look forward to all the progress yet to come.
Read more here.
February 2022
THE NUMBERS …
While reports of child abuse and neglect were lower in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic and state and county mandates, incident reports and referrals are again climbing. Franklin County Children Services reports that in 2021, 28,979 referrals were received – nearly 2,000 more than in 2020 – and 88% of these referrals were for child abuse and neglect. Read more here.
January 2022
CASA GUARDIANS AD LITEM (GALs) CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE …
In 2021, 682 children from 326 family units were served by volunteer GALs. In addition, 84 new volunteers underwent extensive training and were sworn in, bringing the total number of active CASA volunteers to 335.
Read more here.
NBC4 Columbus aired two interviews recently on Foster Care Month and CASA Guardians ad Litem.
“You can be that one person,” stated Tina Husted, who along with her husband, Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, spoke about Foster Care Month, and serving as a CASA Guardian ad Litem.
Speaking on behalf of CASA of Franklin County, Kevin Greenwood discussed the need for GALs, the role they serve in helping abused and neglected children, and how to become a GAL. “Anyone who has an open heart” can become a CASA volunteer and “provide a safe, secure and consistent presence in these kids lives,” he said.
Learn more about GAL volunteer training here.
Friends Board President Tom Barry speaks to children at area elementary schools.
CASA GAL and president-elect of the Friends Board of Trustees, Tom Barry, thanks children at the Columbus Preparatory Academy in late 2021 for collecting toys to give to children in foster care through Franklin County Children's Services. You can view the video here.
Several weeks earlier, Tom was invited to interview with students from the class of Daniel Stone at the Columbus Preparatory Academy in an effort to learn more about what Friends and CASA do. The children wanted to know how they can make the world a better place, and asked some very thoughtful questions about child abuse and how to reduce the incidence of it. Tom has been a Guardian ad Litem with CASA of Franklin County for nine years.
You can watch the interview with Tom and students here.
