A Message from the Executive Director at CASA of Central Louisiana

The ongoing cuts to DOJ funding continue to have a significant and devastating impact on the vulnerable children we serve. In FY 2024, our funding was reduced by nearly half. For FY 2025, we are facing a reduction of more than 50 percent again. These severe cuts have placed an enormous strain on our program’s ability to operate effectively.

In calendar year 2024 alone, 125 children who had experienced abuse or neglect came through our program. Of those, we were only able to assign CASA advocates to 70 children. That means 55 children did not have a trained advocate to speak for them in court and ensure their needs were heard. This is deeply concerning.

These children are in crisis. Many face multiple DCFS caseworkers and repeated placement changes, all during one of the most traumatic times in their lives. CASA is often the only consistent presence they have throughout their case. Without adequate funding, we are unable to recruit and train enough volunteers to meet this growing demand. Recruitment campaigns and outreach efforts have been paused because all available resources must now be diverted to cover essential staffing costs, such as the salary of an advocate supervisor.

I have been with CASA for 13 years, and I have never seen numbers this high. The need has never been greater. The system is overwhelmed, and children already victims of abuse or neglect are now at risk of falling through the cracks of an overburdened court system.

We urgently need funding to be restored, not reduced. The cost of inaction is too high, measured in the futures of children who deserve support, advocacy, and a chance at stability