CASA Delaware Live!

In this episode, we interview 4 team members of Wrap Around Delaware, which provides comprehensive assistance to families in need.  During this interview, we chat with Jackie, Shannon, Michelle and Haydee and listen as they describe their roles within the organization that includes DFS, YRS, PBH and Foster Home Recruitment. Enjoy! To learn more about Wrap Around Delaware, visit https://wraparoundm...

In Episode #130, we chat with Executive Director Claudine Wiant of Prevent Child Abuse Delaware, affectionately known as "PCAD." April is Child Abuse Prevention Month so the purpose of this podcast is to learn about PCAD, what programs they offer and provide a general overview for things CASAs should know about how PCAD takes action to Prevent Child Abuse!  Questions? Check out their web...

In Episode #129, we interview 4 CASAs who have been with their assigned children for over five years! Some of them closer to 10 years! This means that these CASA volunteers have had the opportunity to develop deep relationships with these youth and witness their changes over time. The focus of this podcast is to explore ways in which a CASA's advocacy changes over such a long period of time....

In Episode #128, we host our third in a four-part series on Working with Children. For the thirteen to seventeen year-olds, we chat with four CASA Volunteers: Kathy, Hareena, Sarah and Dave and listen as they share their experience working with children in this age group. Enjoy!

This is a special edition! It's a short Public Service announcement focused on Child Abuse Prevention Month which is in April. Since we are coming up on activities, I wanted to get this information out sooner rather than later.  Every year, young children in Delaware are rushed to the emergency room after being exposed to or ingesting medications and substances. Curiosity is part of being a c...

In Episode #127, we host our second in a four-part series on Working with Children. For the six to twelve-year-olds, we chat with four CASA Volunteers: Martha, Mary, Velma and Lisa and listen as they share their experience working with children in this age group. Enjoy!

In Episode #126, we start our first in a four-part series on Working with Children. For the birth to five-year-olds, we chat with four CASA Volunteers: Sheila, Paula, Elvida, and Colleen and listen as they share their experience working with children in this age group. Enjoy!

In Episode #125, we discuss Family Search and Engagement. We cover what this is, how CASAs can take action, and why it's vital to any case involving dependency and neglect. We hope you enjoy!

In this episode, we chat with CASA Coordinator Jessica Hazzard and Deputy Child Attorney Elizabeth Fillingame as they discuss the role of the Triad when working with a youth experiencing Dual Status. Please refer to Podcast #66 to learn more about Dual Status Youth, but use this podcast to understand the role of each triad member. Enjoy!

In this episode, Jillisa Johnson chats with us about the MOMobile Program, which focuses on serving incarcerated pregnant and parenting women. This program is offered at the Hazel D. Plan and Delores Baylor facilities. This program also offers parenting classes, mental health and substance abuse supports to their clients.  If you have questions about the program, feel free to contact Jillisa Johns...

In Episode #122, we chat with CASA Delaware Director Megan Caudell as she walks us through our 2024 numbers. These numbers review CASA stats, child stats, and some other interesting facts. I then follow up with our 2025 CASA Training Calendar. Enjoy!

In Episode #121, I chat with three experienced CASA Volunteers (Marin, Jen and Brittany) as they share their thoughts on serving as a CASA Volunteer. Enjoy!

In Episode #120, we chat with CASA Bebe Reines who spent her career working in the Substance Abuse Disorder field. She shares some helpful information about substance abuse disorder as well as some resources and actions CASA can take in order to aide in awareness of substance abuse. Here are some resources: https://www.samhsa.gov/ https://ncsacw.acf.hhs.gov/ https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dsamh/

In Episode #119, we interview Melanie Stancell of Children and Families First. She is responsible for offering two parenting classes that many of our CASA families engage with. The two programs are Strengthening Families and Nurturing Parenting. Ms. Stancell explains these two programs in great detail so hopefully this knowledge will help CASA volunteers understand what these programs include. htt...

In Episode #118, we chat with Child Attorney Renee Duvall, Esq. She shares her thoughts with us on ways that we can chat with our CASA youth about the implications of making school threats. These actions are sadly occurring on a more frequent basis and Renee identified a need to have these discussions with all youth, especially our CASA youth, so that they understand what might happen should they,...

In Episdide #117, we chat with Faith Martin from Child Inc. Faith explains her role and what services Child Inc. offers to victims of Domestic Abuse. While Faith is located in Sussex County, these services exist statewide. Enjoy!

In Episode #116, we listen to Cherise Blackwell's story. She has direct experience as a mother whose children were removed from her care. She now serves as a Parent Peer Navigator to help parents reunify with their children. Enjoy!

In Episode #115, we chat with Celeste Bishop and Cindy Knapp from A Better Chance for our Children, which is an adoption agency in Delaware. Celeste and Cindy discuss post-permanency services that include a support group, "Rec-N-Respite," continued training and many other services which are offered to families who have adopted or who have legal permanent guardianship of a child. Any CASA...

In Episode #114, we chat with DFS Director Trenee Parker and WrapAround Delaware Foster Parent Recruitment Director Haydee Rodriguez about foster parent recruitment and retention. Together, we discuss how a foster parent is recruited, what their training looks like and how a CASA can best work with a foster parent.  If any CASA knows someone who is interested in becoming a foster parent, please ha...

In Episode #113, I chat with myself about how to interview different partners from DFS social workers to biological parents, from children to therapists. Asking questions can be difficult, so this is a guide in suggested questions to ask. Remember, there is NO right way to advocate for a child. The only error is inaction. So keep those questions coming!

In Episode #112, we chat with LaTysse, Jen, Jessica, and Clark as they share their experiences as a CASA Coordinator. They share some of their techniques to support their CASA Volunteers as well as some actions they take to be supportive on difficult cases. Happy listening! 

In Episode #111, we chat with Mike McHugh from Children and Families First as well as Lauren Reid from the Division of Family Services. Both discuss the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program that focuses on using a child's connections to secure adoptive or permanent resources. This is a great program that has just been brought to Delaware! Enjoy!   Any questions about the program, please contac...

In Episode #110, we interview 3 CASA volunteers who have experience working with difficult partners. These partners include biological relatives and DFS workers. The purpose of this podcast is not to "bash" anyone, simply highlight the action that the CASA Volunteers took to keep the case moving forward. Enjoy! 

In Episode #109, we interview Lezley Sexton and Danielle Gumbs who run the Transition Age Youth Program. This "TAY" program is a case-management program that connects youth ages 16 to 24 years old to community resources surrounding substance abuse and/or mental health. They are a resource to some of our kids and families.  Do you think you can make a referral? Email them at DSAMH_TAY@del...

In Episode #108, we chat with Nick Beard and Tisha Jackson who are both zealous advocates for Domestic Violence survivors. They chat with us specifically about the Community Health Project which connects survivors to community resources such as housing, employment, and mental health services. Enjoy! Information on referrals can be found here: https://dcadv.org/what-we-do/advocacy-policy-work/healt...