Wisconsin CASA receives national grant to improve support to those impacted by the child welfare system

Wisconsin CASA has been awarded two grants from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Association. These include a $60,000 Growth Grant and a $75,000 Strategic Planning Demonstration Project Grant.

Wisconsin CASA recruits, trains and supports volunteers who advocate for the best interests of children who are involved in judicial proceedings related to abuse or neglect. Volunteer advocates are trained to support children through regular visits, information gathering, court reporting and continuous case monitoring until the child/youth has a permanent home, preferably with their family of origin whenever safely possible.

The $60,000 National CASA/GAL Growth Grant will be utilized for expansion efforts into Portage County, with the goal of establishing services there by mid-2027. The $75,000 National CASA/GAL Strategic Planning Demonstration Project Grant will allow Wisconsin CASA to develop and implement best practices for serving children involved in both CHIPS proceedings and related criminal cases. This initiative will focus on building a structured approach to supporting these “dual-jacketed” cases and improving outcomes for children navigating multiple systems.

“This funding allows us to reach more children who might otherwise go without a consistent, caring adult advocating for their best interests,” said Melissa Skalecki, Wisconsin CASA Executive Director. “Expanding into Portage County means more children will have a trained CASA volunteer by their side during one of the most difficult times in their lives. At the same time, the strategic planning grant gives us an opportunity to strengthen how we serve children facing both child welfare and criminal case involvement-- ensuring they don’t fall through the cracks of complex systems.”

There are 939 CASA/GAL state organizations and local programs operating in 49 states and the District of Columbia. This funding is provided under the  OJJDP FY24 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Training, Technical Assistance, and Subgrants Program (CFDA #16.756) to manage a national grant awards program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) primarily for the purpose of increasing the number Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Guardian ad Litem (GAL) volunteers to advocate for the best interest of children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are the subject of civil court child abuse and neglect proceedings. National CASA/GAL administers the grants program under a cooperative agreement with OJJDP which is authorized pursuant to the Victims of Child Abuse Act, 34 USC §20323.