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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 4, 2021 01:51 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Patrick J. Stefano |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Recognizing June 15, 2021, as “Court Appointed Special Advocates Day” in Pennsylvania |
| In the near future, I will introduce a resolution recognizing June 15, 2021, as “Court Appointed Special Advocates Day” (CASA) in Pennsylvania. CASA is a statewide network of 22 local programs covering 28 counties to provide volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children in dependency court proceedings. CASA volunteers serve as an extra independent set of “eyes and ears” of the court, gathering information from the child, their parents, teachers, and others. They then make recommendations to the judge what services or actions are in the child’s best interest. Research shows that having a stable relationship with a supportive adult can help children do well, even when they have faced significant hardships. Further, data also shows that children with advocates reach a permanent home faster than those without and that a child with a CASA advocate is less likely to reenter the child welfare system. These volunteers are deeply committed to being a champion for the children who need a voice the most. In 2020, CASA had 1,185 active volunteers supporting over two thousand children. I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this resolution to recognize Pennsylvania’s CASA advocates’ hard work and dedication and the countless hours they sacrifice. If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Jake Gery in my office at jgery@pasen.gov. |
Introduced as SR134