1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The Department of Justice's Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy for children and youth who have experienced abuse and neglect. The National CASA/GAL Association, together with its state and local member programs, supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so every child who has experienced abuse or neglect can be safe, have a permanent home, and the opportunity to thrive. There are over 900 CASA/Guardian ad Litem (GAL) state organizations and local programs in 49 states and the District of Columbia. CASA/GAL volunteers are appointed by judges in judicial proceedings related to abuse and neglect to advocate for children's best interests. This best interest advocacy makes a life-changing difference for children who have experienced abuse or neglect, many of whom are in foster care. On April 22, the National CASA/GAL Association unexpectedly received Termination of Award notices for their active grants for the Department of Justice's Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program. According to the notice, the grants are being terminated because they "no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities," which includes "protecting American children." Since that is in fact the mission of the CASA/GAL program, we strongly disagree with the decision to terminate the grants.  The U.S. Congress, through the annual appropriations laws, has funded the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program for more than 30 years. This loss of funding impacts the training, technical assistance and subawards to member programs across the country. Without these funds, the work of CASA/GAL programs across the country will be impacted along with more than 200,000 children involved in child abuse and neglect proceedings. I am requesting that you immediately contact the Department of Justice to inquire about the award terminations and express your concern about the impact of this far-reaching decision to CASA/GAL programs across the country and the children and youth served. Thank you in advance for your assistance and your support.