Hill Country CASA (HCCASA) was established in 1989 to provide trained community volunteers to serve child residents of Kerr, Kendall, Bandera and Gillespie Counties removed from their homes and into state foster care due to abuse or neglect, and aid the courts making decisions about permanence for these children.

A child removed from their home loses everything they know at once; their home, parents, friends, pets, school and other connections that provide a "normal" and stable childhood. There were over 47,000 Texas children in the foster care system in 2021; in this large and chaotic system, timely individual attention and services is difficult to achieve for each of them.

HCCASA volunteers work under court appointment to assure every child in foster care from the Hill Country receives ongoing individual attention, necessary services and timely placement in a safe, loving and permanent home. CASAs are trained to provide strong advocacy for the child's best interest, timely individual services, and family reunification whenever safely and securely possible.

The reasons children are in foster care are not due to a lack of love from their parents, rather a lack of ability to safely parent. This may be due to mental health issues, addiction, family violence, criminal issues or other struggles. HCCASA provides a listening ear to parents, models appropriate parent-child interaction, and supports parents as they work toward reunification of their family.

If reunification cannot be achieved, HCCASA will remain beside the child until permanence in a safe, loving home is found. This includes diligent searches for relatives or other kin, follow up with parents, coordinating services and skill building for children, and being a consistent caring adult in the life of the children.

The value of our program is based on common sense of consistent and caring individuals providing strong advocacy on behalf of the children they serve. In 2021, our 84 Hill Country community volunteers gave 3,130 hours and traveled over 40,000 miles to child visits, court hearings, collaborative meetings and other events as necessary to provide strong, effective advocacy for the 206 children in foster care from the Hill Country.

Texas has 72 independent CASA programs that served 60% of the total children in foster care in 2021. Due to the generosity of time, talent and resources over the last 20 years, Hill Country CASA has been able to provide an advocate for every child in foster care from the Hill Country. On behalf of these children, Hill Country CASA extends our sincere thanks for the support of our Hill Country community for the last 32 years, and we remain committed to continuing to serve every child in need.

www.facebook.com/HillCountryCASA

Categories: Advocacy & Human Rights, Social Services, Children & Youth.