September 2023
Reminders and Deadlines for CASAs
September Volunteer Hours
Please use this form to submit your August volunteer hours. Remember to include time spent driving to and from visits, meetings, and other CASA-related destinations.
VFC Office Closures
VFC staff continue to primarily work remotely; however, limited access to the office is available to CASAs. Please reach out to your advocacy supervisor if you need to come into the office. Staff will be out of office on the following holidays:
Monday, September 4 (Labor Day)
Friday, September 22 (Native American Day)
Chesapeake Office Drop-In Hours
Voices for Children’s Chesapeake office now has dedicated drop-in hours. If you need to access the office to pick up a gift card, a car seat, or any other prearranged item, please prepare to stop by Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – noon or 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Continuing Education
All scheduled Small Group and Continuing Education sessions will be conducted remotely unless noted otherwise. As a reminder, all active CASAs are required to complete at least 12 hours of continuing education each year in order to be in compliance with the National CASA Standards and California Rules of Court. In January 2023, Voices for Children began tracking CASA completion of continuing education hours on a fiscal year basis. Please contact your Advocacy Supervisor if you have any questions or concerns.
Supporting the Educational Needs of Youth in Foster Care & Understanding the Role of Educational Rights Holders
Wednesday, September 6,
12:00 p.m.
California CASA presents Supporting the Educational Needs of Youth in Foster Care and Understanding the Role of Educational Rights Holders. California CASA is excited to provide an in-depth look at Educational Rights Holders during which we will be discussing the role of the advocate in supporting educational and academic success. This includes the role of an Educational Rights Holder, the Best Interest Determination process, and school stability protections. Additional information will be provided on educational entitlements, available supports, and the role FYSCPs (Foster Youth Services – California Department of Education) can play in supporting children and youth in foster care. To register, click here.
Trauma-Informed Advocacy and Communication with System-Involved Youth
Thursday, September 21
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
VFC Chesapeake Office
Join us for an in-person continuing education opportunity to learn more about how to communicate with your case child in a trauma-informed way. Leslie Peterson, LCSW, RPT-S, and Kristen Sylvester, LCSW, from Rady Children’s Hospital, Chadwick Center, will share the importance of trauma-informed advocacy, what this entails, and how you can apply it to your case. There will be an opportunity for Q&A at the end of the presentation. To attend, please RSVP to Kristen Brandley at KristenB@speakupnow.org by Friday, September 15.
Open Topic Small Group
Wednesday, September 13,
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Small group will be held in person at the Voices for Children Chesapeake office location. RSVP to Advocacy Supervisor Paul Ammons at PaulA@speakupnow.org.
Neurodiversity and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Small Group:
Tuesday, September 26,
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Please join us as we discuss neurodiversity and how to best support children diagnosed with ASD. RSVP to Advocacy Supervisor Chelsea Shaw at ChelseaS@speakupnow.org by Monday, September 25.