CASA Best for Babies Collaborative Program

About the Program

Category: Volunteers (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Maricopa County Program recruits, trains, certifies and supports community volunteers who are appointed by a juvenile judge to advocate in juvenile court for children in foster care. Among the growing numbers of children in foster care, infants and toddlers continue to be widely recognized as the community's most vulnerable population. Research shows that children under the age of three have the highest fatality rates as a result of abuse and neglect, stay in the child welfare system longer, have higher rates of system re-entry, higher rates of developmental delay and neurological impairment, and high levels of stress during critical periods of brain development. In response to this emerging trend locally, CASA of Maricopa County developed a specialized program, Best for Babies to improve outcomes for high-risk infants, toddlers, and their families. Through Best for Babies, CASA of Maricopa County offers specialized training, resources and ongoing support in the form of bi-monthly advocate forums to any CASA volunteer working with this population to help move children through the foster care system more quickly while providing increased attention on a child’s developmental needs.