CASA New Orleans fights for the rights of abused and neglected children in St. Bernard and Orleans Parishes. When a child is in need, CASA New Orleans is there. When a child enters foster care, they have been removed from their home due to abuse or neglect. This is a critical time when a child needs the most support possible--and a time when they are least likely to have it. That’s when a CASA Advocate steps in. We make sure that a qualified, compassionate adult will fight for and protect a child’s right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to learn and grow in the safe embrace of a loving family. CASA New Orleans works to ensure that the rights and needs of these children are at the forefront of decisions that are being made by judges, lawyers, and family members in Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes. Every Advocate is a regular citizen like you: volunteers, appointed by the courts, who have been trained in how to advocate for neglected and abused children in the foster care and family court systems. Youth who receive a CASA Advocate are more likely to be adopted, less likely to return to foster care if reunified, have fewer moves while in care, and do better in school, all of which reduce their long-term risk status—in short, brighter futures for our kids. Since 1985, CASA New Orleans has been there for abused and neglected kids. Contact Gabe at gharvey@casaneworleans.org to see how you can be there for them, too.