The Chelan-Douglas CASA Program is committed to helping every child find a safe, permanent, and nurturing home. To do this effectively, we believe a commitment to diversity must be at the forefront of our work because it paves the way for equity, inclusion, and healthy, more vibrant futures for our children. We recognize the history of oppression and systemic racism that has resulted in ongoing disparities for some communities, especially communities of color, and see the opportunity before us to mobilize our powerful network of CASA volunteers to create positive systemic change. We pledge to engage a diverse community of allies who are vested in a child’s wellbeing so that we break the cycle of abuse and neglect. We are committed to confronting our own biases and operationalizing our values. We know that intention alone will not affect meaningful change in the lives we serve. Our mission and vision that every child who has experienced abuse or neglect is given the opportunity to thrive in a safe and loving home, moves us to confront frameworks of oppression. Within our work, we aspire to building opportunities for learning, change and accountability. Our mission is urgent, and we will always be learning. We will make mistakes and own our responsibility for corrective action. Chelan-Douglas CASA is committed to our own equity journey and cultivating the diversity of our board and staff and the broader community of CASA volunteers that contribute to broad inclusiveness and equity in the child protection system in Washington.
We know that children of color are disproportionately represented in the foster care system and are less likely to encounter caseworkers, service providers, lawyers, judges, or CASAs who share their race or ethnicity. We know that LGBTQ youth face increased discrimination, harassment, and hostility in the foster care system and experience a higher than average rate of suicidality. We know that undocumented children face constant fear of family separation and experience significant barriers to accessing educational, health, and housing services. These are just a few of the many complex issues we must take into consideration.
Therefore we are committed to strengthening our relationships and building partnerships with people, organizations, and businesses who reflect the diverse identities and cultures of the children and families we serve. We believe bringing more voices to the table to influence our policies and practices will help us provide better advocacy and arrive at better outcomes for our youth.