Letter from the Executive Director
CASA of Central Texas is 30! In 1984, in New Braunfels, a grassroots effort sprang to life with a group of individuals whose professions allowed them to see up close how children who were victims of abuse were being victimized again by adult rules, guidelines, red tape, and lack of understanding, time and funds. These doctors, lawyers, law enforcement officials and social workers met to discuss a solution to the growing number of child abuse cases and the number of children who kept falling through the cracks of the system that was supposed to protect them. The formation of a child advocacy program was proposed and Comal County Child Advocacy was incorporated on March 13, 1985. After becoming affiliated with the National CASA program, we acquired a non-profit 501(c)(3) status. The mission was to recruit and train volunteers who would provide an objective viewpoint in civil child protection court cases. There were 18 advocates who completed the first training class. By 1994 the program expanded into Hays and Caldwell counties and the program name was changed to CASA of Central Texas. The program expanded into our fourth county, Guadalupe, in 1996. Now, in our thirtieth year, CASA has grown to more than 240 volunteers offering a unique service, advocacy for children who have been abused or neglected and are under State care. In 2014, these volunteers served 466 children, more than half of the children in State Care in Central Texas. 2015 will be a big year for CASA of Central Texas, and we hope you will join us in our official celebration, CASA in the Keys, on April 10th. We will honor those who helped us get here as we continue to work toward our goal of providing a CASA volunteer to every child in State care. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our journey for the last 30 years, and to you who plan to be a part of the next 30!
Thank you,
Norma Castilla-Blackwell
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