National CASA's 2010 Public Policy Agenda 

National CASA’s board of trustees approved the following policy agenda at its April 17 meeting in Atlanta. 

The National CASA Association encourages Congress to: 

1. Sustain FY 2011 funding of at least $15 million for the CASA program which is authorized in the Violence Against Women Act (PL 109–271). Congress has appropriated $15 million in FY 2009 and FY 2010.
2. Extend GAL advocacy to children in tribal court dependency proceedings.
3. Enact Foster Care Financing reform to support children and promote permanency:
         Allow IV–E flexibility for prevention of child abuse, including home visitation.
         Expand eligibility for foster care and adoption assistance to all children in out of home care.
         Extend IV–E to CASA advocacy for children in the court system because of abuse or neglect.
4. Assure states have a process to determine eligibility of children who have been abused or neglected to become legal permanent residents under the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) provisions of existing immigration law.
5. Reauthorize and increase funding for state grants in the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.
6. Implement standards to protect youth against abuse in residential programs.
7. Support convening of a White House Conference on Children and Youth.
8. Provide children in foster care with school stability and equal access to educational opportunities.
9. Enact the Crime Victims Fund Preservation Act of 2009 (HR 3402/S 1340) to ensure adequate funding ongoing stable services to support critical crime victims services.
10. Ensure financial stability for every youth leaving foster care. 

Please contact Carmela Welte, Deputy CEO, for information about any of the above proposals or other policy issues.