In a recent budget plan, California Governor Gavin Newsom stated he would cut a $60 million dollar plan for foster care services down to $20 million. This funding was specifically allocated for the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program, which supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children.. 

CASA currently operates 44 programs across California. These programs recruit and train volunteers who are appointed by judges. The volunteers, in turn, then advocate for children who are under court jurisdiction because of neglect or abuse.  

Volunteers at CASA serve as mentors and advocates, Regan Phillips, CEO for CASA of Orange County, told The Panther. 

“It is an assistance to the system because everyone working in the system is a little overwhelmed due to the amount of children in foster care,” Phillips told The Panther. 

In an interview with The Panther, Matthew Wadlinger, the chief strategy officer of CASA of Orange County, said that CASA has had to put program expansions on hold until different funding is provided.

The goal of these programs was to serve more children in the OC foster care system by expanding the recruiting and training of more CASA volunteers.

“We have over 250 youth on a waiting list, and the two things that we need to help serve more youth are people willing to become CASA volunteers and funding to help support the recruitment, training and supervision of CASA volunteers,” Wadlinger told The Panther. 

The original funding was part of Newsom’s budget proposal in January 2023 for the fiscal year beginning in July. The cut was a bipartisan decision as the state faces a potential $25 billion budget deficit. 

Yet foster care advocates have called the program a “life-saving” service and are asking lawmakers to reinstate the funding.

David Berkovitz, a professor in Chapman University’s business school, started a project with CASA for his elder and juvenile law class in an effort to do something meaningful and impactful.

“It is a remarkable organization that provides help and assistance to children,” Berkvotiz told the Panther. “They are an adult in the child's life that they can depend upon. CASA is a difference maker and in a dark room, a small light can provide a lot of illumination and warmth.”

Kalimah Priforce, a council member for the City of Emeryville, expressed his disapproval of the funding cut. He stated that he finds the situation “unfortunate” and that “if a program like this existed when my brother aged out of the foster care system, he would still be alive.” Priforce’s brother passed away from gun violence.  

The goal of the foster care system in the U.S. is to place children in a safe environment and to provide permanency. 

According to Berkovitz, CASA should be prioritized in state funding not just because of the immediate impact it has, but also because of its long-term effect.

“From a pragmatic monetary standpoint, if you do not spend now, you are going to be spending later,” Berkovitz said. 

The graduation rate for kids in the OC foster care system is under 58%, but once a CASA is put on the case, the graduation rate goes up to 92%, Phillips said. 

Phillips believes there needs to be a focus on stabilization within the foster care system.

“I have seen the impact. It can completely change the trajectory of a child’s life,” Phillips said. 

CASA in Orange County is minimally affected by the funding cuts because their budget was already set in the fiscal year. Yet the smaller CASA organizations are being hit harder by the changes because fundraising can be a bigger challenge in those locations, Wadlinger said. 

A survey from the Homeless Policy Research Institute found that after interviewing 17-year-olds that are in the foster care system, over 24% of respondents said they had experienced homelessness during that time and 36% of respondents said that they had “couch-surfed.”

Homelessness is a common problem for youth who age out of the foster care system because of the lack of support that is provided during transition for those that are in the system when they become adults. 

Funds from the state and federal government are a massive asset for CASA of OC since they are 87% privately funded. These help the youth who are in the OC child welfare system, Wandlinger said. 

“It’s important for nonprofits to stabilize staff salary and benefits to ensure that we can hire and retain a qualified and caring team,” Phillips said.