Voices for Children Montgomery
1010 Grandin Avenue, Suite B-3
Rockville, MD 20851
Phone: 301.340.7458
Fax:301.686.8574
Email: mail@casamontgomery.org
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: A Child is Waiting | Volunteer Spotlight | Upcoming Pre-Service Training | Volunteer Anniversaries | Donors Making a Difference | Volunteers Needed
Dear friends, benefactors, and volunteers:

As the COVID-19 situation continues to develop across our community, we want to make you aware of temporary changes we have made in the Voices for Children Montgomery’s (VFCM) office operations, volunteer in-service, and pre-service training as well as in the ways our CASA volunteers advocate for children.

Eventually, social distancing will prove successful and our community will be healthy again. Until that time, VFCM staff members are working from home with access to e-mail, telephone, and video conferencing. Monthly supervision meetings with volunteers are being conducted by telephone or video chat. We are also conducting volunteer pre-service and in-service training remotely.

Our CASA volunteers are keeping regular contact with professionals and caregivers by telephone and email; we have asked volunteers to refrain from in-person visits with children until further notice. These measures aim to serve the well-being of children and families, caregivers, professionals, and our own volunteers.

For children 13 and older, regular video chat visits and telephone calls are encouraged. For children under 13, we encourage regular contact through telephone calls and video chats, with several restrictions; please contact your Case Supervisor for more information.

We are eagerly learning new ways to ensure that the children we serve are safe! Please know that the entire VFCM staff is available to answer questions as we all navigate this new and challenging situation. We are confident that our efforts to minimize in-person contact will help stop the spread of this virus and serve the best interests of children in our community.

Finally, we have postponed our annual fundraising event, our Beer, Wine & Food Festival, which was to be held on April 18. Thank you to those of you that supported this event. We are hopeful we will be able to reschedule it later in 2020.

Please contact our Office Manager, Nancy King, at the main VFCM telephone number (301-340-7458 ext. 201) for more information.

Pre-Service Training For Prospective Volunteers Starts March 28th! 
*Training will be online

A CHILD IS WAITING
Nicholas* and Ava*, ages 8 and 4 respectively, are siblings who came to the attention of Child Welfare Services after an informal caregiver tried to enroll them in school, and it was discovered that the children were not in a legal living arrangement. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the children’s biological parents are residing in another state. When their mother was incarcerated, she sent the children to live with their former step-father, who agreed to care for them. Subsequently, he sold the children to another couple. Currently, the children are residing in a foster home in Montgomery County. As there are no biological relatives living in this area, these children would benefit from working with a caring adult who could advocate for their needs. 

  * Names changed
Volunteer Spotlights Spring 2020
Savannah Sweeney has been working with 13-year-old Danielle* for three months. Danielle came into care in September 2018, due to physical and sexual abuse. When Savannah first met Danielle, she had been hospitalized for over a month, awaiting placement in a diagnostic center. Danielle did not have any structured activities in the hospital, spending her day unoccupied for the most part. During Savannah’s first visit, Danielle expressed that she wished she had a blanket or stuffed animal to cuddle at night. Savannah advocated with the hospital case manager, Department social worker, and Danielle’s attorney for her to have a personal item at the hospital. As a result, Danielle’s mother brought her a blanket from home, and Danielle reported to Savannah that it helped her sleep better.
Kimberley Raue is the CASA for 16-year-old Allison*. Kimberley began working with Allison when she first came into care in 2015. She has seen Allison through many changes in her life, including multiple placements, therapists, doctors, and schools. Kimberley visits Allison each week and has had the opportunity to truly get to know her. Allison has continually expressed the desire to engage in extracurricular activities but has never been afforded this experience, largely due to placement disruptions and transportation issues. Recently, Allison has identified a teen writing course that she wants to participate in. Kimberley, after speaking with Allison’s foster mother, has helped get Allison enrolled in the course and has worked with the foster mother to prepare a transportation plan.
*Names changed and photos are not of CASA children
SAVE THE DATE :JOIN US FOR MAY'S BOOK CLUB
BOOK: To Be Announced

Participants will receive one hour of in-service credit for attending plus 30 additional minutes for every 100 pages read.

DATE: Thursday, May 21, 2020
TIME: 6:30pm to 7:30PM
WHERE: Either the VFCM Office or Online Via Zoom


Next Pre-Service Training Session for Prospective Volunteer
Spring 2020
Saturday
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday

3/28/2020
3/30/2020
4/01/2020
4/03/2020
4/06/2020
4/07/2020
4/15/2020

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
6:00 PM to 9:30 PM

 
Winter Volunteer Anniversaries
13 Years
Diane Krishnamurti

11 Years
Charles Hosten

9 Years
Natalie Randolph
Kathryn Winsberg

8 Years
Dean Cooper
Janet Rudderham

7 Years
Teri Poux
Marie-Christine Rebiere-Hohman

6 Years
Joseph Lipten
Sasha Rene

5 Years
Jessica Cruz
Suzanne Waltzer

4 Years
Susan Fitzpatrick
Concetta Goodrich
3 Years
Marcia Alleyne
Katherine Buckner
Gabriel Chikes
Michelle Citren
Patrice Furlow
Joy Markowitz
Joshua Shaw
Sarah Skolnik

2 Years
Bernard Auchter
Marlene Beckman
Brian Fisher
Millie Hovis
Elizabeth Kaplan
Majidah Muhammad
Tara Ryan

1 Year
Cynthia Drucker
Elizabeth Herman
Katherine Holmcrans
Jayna Johns
Hamda Khan
Karen Malaska
Monica Vargas-Vidal
Danielle Wilcox
Donors Making A Difference
Be the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer that every child in Montgomery County, Maryland’s foster care system needs.
CASA depends upon donations from people like you to continue its work. Make a donation today to help us reach out goal of serving ALL the children in foster care in Montgomery County by 2026.