Sophisticated Giving: CASA of Lexington

At the age of 10, Zack was removed from his home because his heroin-addicted father was unable to care for him. His mother was not involved in his life. After his removal, Zack spent time in three different foster homes. Without stability and consistency in his life, it’s no wonder he had failing grades in school. Zack was headed toward troubled teenage years, placing him at higher risk for things like drug addiction, mental health problems or crime. He was not being nurtured or loved in a way that allowed him to grow and learn.

But this is when a CASA volunteer stepped into Zack’s life, and his story changed for the better. Zack’s Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) helped get Zack into an adoptive foster home, determined he had learning difficulties and helped get him an individualized education plan, found him a tutor to help him catch up, and exposed him to extracurricular activities. Zack now maintains a B average, has joined the school football team and is in the process of being adopted. Thanks to his CASA volunteer, Zack is in a loving, permanent home. He is thriving.

Unfortunately, there are hundreds of children like Zack right here in central Kentucky. Last year, CASA of Lexington’s volunteers advocated for the best interests of 625 abused or neglected kids. We’re working hard to find more volunteers — and more funding — so no child has to go through such a hard time alone. Every CASA volunteer is a person just like you, who has a heart for helping children and 6-10 hours of time to give each month. They are fully trained and supervised by experienced volunteer managers. While a month of foster care costs about $2,100 in Kentucky, it costs just $1,000 a year to provide a child with a CASA volunteer.

Research has found that children with CASA volunteers find permanent homes on average five and a half months sooner. That represents a savings of more than $10,000 per child or $1 million for every 100 kids. CASA of Lexington is certified as one of the best-managed nonprofits in the nation by Points of Light and has earned the Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. If you would like to help abused or neglected children like Zack, you can donate or apply to be a volunteer today at www.casaoflexington.org.