Media Kit
Mission Statement
CASA's Origin
CASA of San Luis Obispo
Board of Directors
A dynamic and diverse group of community leaders serve on the board of directors for CASA of San Luis Obispo County. For more information about the board, visit our Team Page below.
Fact Sheet
CASA is an acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocates.
• CASA is a 501( c) 3 nonprofit organization and depends on community
donations to support the loca l program.
• There are more than 900 CASA programs in operation across the
United States, with more than 62,000 men and women serving as
volunteers .
• There are 650 children in San Luis Obispo County receiving county
services due to their abuse or neglect.
• There are over 450 children under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court
in San Luis Obispo County due to abuse and neglect .
• More than 180 abused or neglected children in San Luis Obispo County
have their own CASA volunteer to advocate for their unique needs and
to speak for them in court.
• More than a 150 concerned community members serve as CASA
volunteers
• The goal of a CASA volunteer is to help every abused or neglected
child they work with find or return to a safe, permanent home and give
them hope for a better life.
• CASA volunteers receive training from legal, child development and
welfare professionals, and have advocate supervisors to advise them
on all aspects of their cases.
• CASA volunteers are responsible for reviewing records, researching,
and talking to everyone involved with their child, including social
workers, attorneys, judges, parents, teachers, family members and
most importantly, the children themselves.
• CASA of San Luis Obispo County is an equal opportunity organization
and believes that embracing diversity and inclusiveness strengthens
the status of children and their families and is vital to the
organization’s vision, mission and development initiatives.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact : Jenae Walters
CASA of San Luis Obispo County
(805) 541-6542 ext 110
jwalters@slocasa.org
[San Luis Obispo, CA, April 23, 2021] – You can help support child victims of crime from the City of San Luis Obispo by joining the Hike for CASA occurring throughout the month of May. This unique awareness event brings attention to abused and neglected children—right here in our city. It highlights the efforts of SLO CASA helping to improve their health, education, and welfare by providing a highly trained adult volunteer who often becomes the one person a foster child can count on for friendly weekly visits, advocating for their interests at court, and seeing that their health and education needs are met.
With assistance from the Grants in Aid program of the City of San Luis Obispo, the all-access Hike for CASA welcomes people to enjoy our beautiful community’s trails for every ability. Participants will receive CASA branded items to display while they walk, ride, stroll, roll, or wheel on sanctioned local trails and paths, then log their activities on a virtual “passport”. It is a great way to help others, in a safe manner, at your own pace, and on your schedule. CASA will award prizes to top individuals in multiple categories! All people and all ages—in families, groups, and singles—are welcome. Supporters are also encouraged to post about their activities on social media using the hashtag #HikeforCASA.
“Children with a CASA volunteer are more likely to finish high school, they spend less time in costly foster care, and they are more likely to find a safe, permanent home. CASA volunteers enhance social justice for abused children. Please help us assure these children never “fall through the cracks” of the child welfare system,” asks Teresa Tardiff, CASA’s Executive Director.
Sign up today at https://slocasa.ejoinme.org/HikeforCASA
This is CASA’s 28th year of providing advocacy for court-dependent children in this county who have been abused and neglected. Most of the youth CASA serves live in foster care and face many challenges to their health, education, and general well-being. It is the dedicated CASA volunteer who becomes the child’s advocate and trusted, consistent adult, regardless of changes to the child’s school or place of residence. In 2020, CASA volunteers served 329 children, dedicating over 10,000 hours to improving their lives.
PHOTO CAPTION: An all-access activity for people of all abilities, the Hike for CASA is a self-scheduled event where those who support abused and neglected children can walk, ride, stroll, or wheel on trails and pathways throughout the county.
For more information about volunteering or donating, please contact staff@slocasa.org
About CASA of San Luis Obispo: We are a 501c3 charitable organization, founded in 1993. We recruit, train, and supervise community volunteers who advocate for the best interests of youth in our county who have been abused and neglected. On a typical day, over 400 children are under the court’s care in this county. CASA provides a dedicated, one-on-one advocate to as many of these children as possible.
Contact info
Teresa Tardiff
Executive Director
CASA of San Luis Obispo County
75 Higuera Street , Suite 180
P.O. Box 1168
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
Tel: 805.541.6542 x 103
Fax: 805.541.5637
ttardiff@slocasa.org
www.slocasa.org
Daniella Barion
Recruitment and Retention Specialist
CASA of San Luis Obispo County
75 Higuera Street , Suite 180
P.O. Box 1168
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
Tel: 805.541.6542 x 105
Fax: 805.541.5637
dbarion@slocasa.org
www.slocasa.org
Melanie Barket
Training Manager
CASA of San Luis Obispo County
75 Higuera Street , Suite 180
P.O. Box 1168
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
Tel: 805.541.6542
Fax: 805.541.5637
mbarket@slocasa.org
www.slocasa.org
Jenae Walters
Events and Development Coordinator
CASA of San Luis Obispo County
75 Higuera Street , Suite 180
P.O. Box 1168
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
Tel: 805.541.6542 x 110
Fax: 805.541.5637
jwalters@slocasa.org
www.slocasa.org