Children’s advocacy group gets more than $120K in grants

NEW HAVEN — Connecticut CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, has received more than $120,000 in grants to continue its mission of advancing “the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect ... so every child can find a safe, permanent home to thrive,” according to a release.

The grants will allow the organization to add two staff members “to recruit, train, and support additional volunteers for children in need, while facilitating a merger toward greater efficiency,” it said.

The grants include:

$60,000 Core Model 2021 Grant. $59,990 Mentoring 2020-22 Grant. $10,250 Grant from the SeaChangeLodestar Fund for Nonprofit Collaboration.

According to the release, the first two grants are federal funding awarded on a competitive basis through the National CASA Association, while the third is made up of private funds.

Connecticut CASA is part of the

National CASA network, which covers 49 states, the release said, and includes 96,000 volunteers serving nearly 277,000 children.

The two new staff members the grants will cover are Catherine Ramirez Mejia, who will be operations manager/program coordinator, and Vallerie Dontes, who will serve as program coordinator, the release said.

“These new staff colleagues join our dedicated Volunteers, increasing their numbers while adhering to National CASA standards on behalf of children’s best interests,” Josiah H. Brown, executive director of Connecticut CASA, said in the release. “We encourage prospective volunteers of all backgrounds to join this movement. CASA volunteers help identify safe, permanent homes where children can thrive, along with resources for them and their families. Catherine and Vallerie are professionals who will make CASA’s volunteer-based approach more widely available in our state.”

To volunteer, email volunteer@ConnecticutCASA.org.