CBA Record

YLS Special Issue l PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN

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Valdez possesses a legal background that serves CASA of Cook County very well in her role as director of programs. Acting as the primary contact between CASA and its partners in the courtroomValdez meets often with the judges in the child protec- tion division as well as other key leaders within DCFS and the juvenile justice system to keep them abreast of CASA’s work and ensure that the organization is aligned with the overall work in the juvenile justice system as a whole. Valdez emphasizes, “All lawyers should be aware of CASA. They advocate for the whole family in the best interest of the youth.” A misnomer is that only family law practitio- ners will intersect with CASA. The reality is that lawyers of all facets should be aware and become informed as to the work of CASAs. Valdez also leads CASA of Cook County’s CITY or Creating Independent Transitions for Youth program, a program that provides key life skills for older foster youth. Jason MarcusWaak is historian and contrib- uting editor for UIC Alumni Magazine. He researches and writes on various aspects of UIC, and naval and political history.

CASA of Cook County is continuing to grow as an organization thanks to the efforts of Beatriz Valdez, Lafayette Young, and the rest of the CASA of Cook County team. However, with only 1% of children in foster care having a CASA, the work is far from over. For more information visit www.casacookcounty.org or call 312/433-4928.

in Cook County’s foster care system are currently assigned a CASA. Efforts to expand CASA’s reach are underway. Recently arrived Executive Director Mark Dinglasan and his team are working around the clock to build stronger relationships with the courts and DCFS, create sustainable funding, and create awareness for CASA’s work in Cook County. Dinglasan is passionate about this: “What I think is important to understand is the kind of trauma our kids go through leads to a lot of what we see in the papers. There is a correlation between kids not having a good foundation and what we’re seeing in our city.” Helping lead the charge to grow CASA of Cook County are Beatriz Valdez, Director of Programs, and Lafay- ette Young, Director of Recruitment and Training. Being former caseworkers gives Valdez and Young increased credibility.

Young’s focus is on expanding the volunteer pool and providing continu- ing education training for existing court appointed advocates. Forward thinking, he is actively raising awareness of CASA at local law schools such as Loyola, John Marshall, and DePaul as well as at several social work programs. By working with law students and social work students, Young is able to educate diverse pools of potential volunteers that would be inter- ested in exposure and experience in the courtroom. Since becoming a court appointed special advocate is also a unique volunteer opportunity, Young has also worked to enhance CASA of Cook County’s screen- ing and training procedures for volunteers to include such aspects as understanding cultural bias, diversity, and understanding trauma.

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