Dallas CASA needs more bilingual Spanish-speaking volunteers to serve children who have been victims of abuse or neglect and are living in foster care.
Hispanics represent 55% of the child population in Dallas County and 32% of the children removed from unsafe homes and served by Dallas CASA, but only 13% of Dallas CASA volunteers are Hispanic.
For a child who speaks Spanish or had grown up in a Hispanic household, foster care can be an especially lonely and frightening place when there is a language and cultural barrier.
A Dallas CASA volunteer who is bilingual can not only bring comfort to the child but foster better and more timely communication with parties on the case leading to better long-term outcomes for children and their families.
On Thursday, May 9 from 6-7 p.m. CASA will host a special online program aimed at increasing participation from Spanish-speaking volunteers.
Guest speakers will include Juan Nevarez, executive vice president at Scout Energy Partners, and Amanda Paredes, senior brand supervisor at The Infinite Agency. Nevarez and Parades will share their experiences as Dallas CASA volunteers and how being able to speak Spanish and understand a child’s culture has allowed them a closer connection with families and children they are assigned to advocate for.
To register, go online to DallasCASA.org
Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) seeks to protect children, restore childhood and help child victims of abuse or neglect achieve their full potential.
The agency’s trained and supervised community volunteers are assigned by judges to advocate for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are living in the protective care of the state. For many children in foster care, their Dallas CASA volunteer is the only consistent, caring adult in their lives during a frightening, uncertain time.
Dallas CASA envisions a day when all children experience safe childhoods and grow into resourceful, healthy adults.
Now in its 44th year, Dallas CASA serves more children than any of the more than 900 CASA programs nationwide. In 2023, 1,088 Dallas CASA volunteers were assigned to advocate for 2,151 children in protective care. For the past five years, the agency has been able to provide an advocate for every Dallas child in need, but each year more advocates are needed. To learn more, visit dallascasa.org.
