Community Benefit partner Child Advocates of Silicon Valley works to ensure every child in foster care has an adult who cares about them — a court-appointed special advocate (CASA).
Foster children are at a greatly increased risk for depression, anxiety, learning disabilities, behavioral problems and even physical health problems such as obesity. Having an adult who cares about them and having positive experiences to help balance out negative or traumatic experiences can make a huge difference in children’s lives and futures.
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley works to ensure every child in foster care who has experienced abuse, neglect or abandonment has a caring adult in their life. The organization reviews the case of every child under age 21 who enters the Santa Clara County Dependency System and assigns each child a court-appointed special advocate (CASA). As the only CASA Program in Santa Clara County, Child Advocates recruits, trains and supports CASA volunteers according to the National CASA Association standards.
CASAs connect with youth, families and caretakers weekly, research aspects of the case, keep records, submit reports to the court, attend hearings and help children access the resources they need. Since 2020, Child Advocates has used the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) aware stress busters model, providing positive experiences to counteract the effects of toxic stress. Visits to museums, theaters and special events — including a holiday pajama party and CASA Village where children get personalized gifts — give children a chance to relax and build relationships. Monthly workshops and occasional discussion groups give CASAs a chance to share experiences and build knowledge.
FY2025 is the seventh year of grant funding for Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, helping the organization continue its important work, which supports our aim of improving behavioral health across our service area.
See the complete list of fiscal year 2025 grant partners.
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