For 14-year-old Azeem, foster care was safe but lonely. He was in an unfamiliar home with new people, new rules and new foods he didn't like. And he missed his mother's homemade chicken biryani.

Azeem's Dallas CASA volunteer, Michael, understood the longing for the familiar. But things got serious when Azeem started losing weight. Could Michael find a way to bring the familiar to Azeem and get his health back on track?

A diverse professional background, Spanish language skills and a passion for service and advocacy all brought Lesley Berrios, 34, to Dallas CASA. Now a trained child advocate, she works with a teenager, ensuring the youth's voice is heard throughout the process.

"One of the biggest takeaways from being a volunteer has been the importance of listening without judgment. Children in the system often feel overlooked or unheard, and offering them a safe space to express themselves is key to their healing process."

Dallas CASA was named Organization of the Year (Mega) at D CEO's annual Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards, presented in partnership with Communities Foundation of Texas on July 24.

Dallas CASA was recognized for how Dallas CASA's volunteers, staff and board of directors have supported children and families during the difficult transition to community-based care, while continuing to accept 100% of court appointments.

Thank you to all of our supporters for making this incredible honor happen!

Join Dallas CASA for a special recruitment session from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 20 at Dallas CASA, 2757 Swiss Avenue. We're asking our friends and supporters to please invite your friends to learn about the difference a Dallas CASA volunteer can make in the lives of children who have been abused or neglected and how you can help.

We have an urgent need for volunteers and encourage you to invite friends, family and colleagues to this special recruitment session.

Dallas CASA's annual Champion of Children Award Dinner will feature guest speaker Steve Pemberton, bestselling author and managing director at Seramount. A visionary leader and lifelong advocate for human dignity, Pemberton will share his inspiring belief in the power of ordinary people doing remarkable things. Pemberton’s first book, “A Chance in the World,” laid bare a stark childhood spent in foster care. Thanks to small acts of kindness and people who cared, Pemberton left foster care, graduated from Boston College and became a husband, father, corporate executive and motivational speaker. His second book, “The Lighthouse Effect,” encourages readers to be “human lighthouses,” inspiring those around them toward connection, hope and renewed trust instead of disillusionment and defeat.

Back to school can be a stressful time for any child, but children living in foster care face additional challenges.

• In Texas, 47% of students in foster care attend at least two different schools in the same year, compared to 7% of students not in foster care.
• In 2020, 23% of Texas students in foster care dropped out of school, compared to 5.4% of all students statewide.
• Only 1.5% of Texas foster youth obtain a bachelor's degree within seven years of turning 18. 🔗

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires the coordination of child welfare services with education agencies to ensure school stability and facilitate immediate and appropriate school enrollment. Dallas CASA volunteers receive training in educational advocacy and are required to maintain regular contact with educators, sharing with the court the educational needs of the children they serve. If you are interested in learning more about educational advocacy, you can access Texas CASA's Educational Advocacy Guidebook here.

Dallas CASA's volunteers and staff will gather on Saturday, September 20, for a full day of continuing education and networking. Volunteers will hear from Dr. Gregory Williams, an expert on child abuse and its lifelong impact on children.

Advocates, make plans to join us on September 20 and earn up to eight hours of continuing education credit in one day! All advocates are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education annually.

Dallas CASA welcomes the following new advocates ready to begin serving children in our community. These volunteers have completed 30 hours of training and been sworn in by the court as Court Appointed Special Advocates:

July 25: Oluwatoyin (Toyin) Akinnodi, Kellie Burnside, Margaret (Joie) Cano, Vikki Coleman, Lauren Fleming, Rita Fuentes, Lazonda Gardner, Kisanet Gebrehiwet, DR Hanson, Mark Harris, Temekia Hatter, Susannah Hutcheson, Lisa Jagneaux, Laurette (Laurie) Kugelmann, Cassidy Lamb, Kimberley Levels, Alicia Morris, Jamie Odom, Shruti Patil, Rosalyn Pryor, Jovany Rodriguez, Kamariah Simmons, Elizabeth Stephens, Alexis Thomas, Alisha Thomas, Loren Thompson, Sirena Vanegas, Kyle (Ky) Ward, Marsha Washington and Yasamin Yazdani