A Modest Investment in Our Most Vulnerable Children

By Ben Brahinsky, Chair of the Board of Directors, Colorado CASA and Managing Partner, Leap Financial, Denver , Colorado

Adams and Broomfield Counties, CO – Although we are confronted daily with exhaustive coverage of the economic crisis facing our country, one important fact has failed to garner the coverage it deserves. And it’s this: Children often bear the brunt of tough economic times. As families experience greater stress due to financial pressures, children in at-risk families are more likely to be victimized.

In Colorado each year, more than 50,000 reports of child abuse and neglect are filed and more than 11,000 children enter foster care. As tough economic times continue, these numbers are expected to rise while the resources to serve our most vulnerable children shrink.

Now more than ever, we must invest in protecting our children. Not only is there a moral and ethical imperative to protect them, but there’s an economic one too. Of the more than 12,800 children in out-of-home placements in the state, each child costs taxpayers $2,075, according to the most recent data.

A 2007 study by Prevent Child Abuse America estimates the annual cost of child abuse and neglect is a staggering $103.8 billion. One-third of that amount is in direct costs such as hospitalization, mental health care, child welfare services and law enforcement. The remainder is in indirect costs – special education, juvenile delinquency, mental health, health care and the adult criminal justice system.

Colorado legislators, now faced with $600 million dollars in budget cuts, should take note of the considerable economic and human impact of Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA). Each of these unpaid volunteers commits dozens of hours monthly to abused and neglected children. They not only help work toward a positive outcome for the children they serve, but also contribute time and money worth millions to our state each year.

CASA of Adams and Broomfield Counties relies on its trained volunteers to serve abused and neglected children (www.casa17th.org). CASA of Adams and Broomfield Counties is part of National CASA, which has more than 60,000 volunteers in communities across the country (www.casaforchildren.org).

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to serve as independent investigators and advocates for the safety and well-being of abused and neglected children. And they can make all the difference in the young lives they serve.

According to an audit conducted by the US Department of Justice of the Inspector General, cases involving a CASA volunteer are more likely to be permanently closed. Fewer than 10 percent of children with a CASA volunteer re-enter the foster care system. The same audit reports children with a CASA volunteer are half as likely to spend time in long-term foster care as children without a volunteer.

The results for kids are good. So are the results for taxpayers. It costs only $80 a month per child for a CASA volunteer’s services. That’s a modest investment compared to the cost of keeping a child in foster care for another month. If the 12,800 children in out-of-home placement in Colorado’s child welfare system were to spend an average of one month less in care, that would mean a savings of more than $26 million annually to taxpayers.

On April 26th – 28th, more than 1,400 child advocates from across the country will gather in Denver at National CASA’s 28th Annual Conference to further strengthen their training and deepen their knowledge. The timing is especially noteworthy because April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month – an important reminder to protect our most vulnerable kids and recognize the signs of stressed parents in need of help.

In the coming year, there’s going to be a lot of debate in this country about where to invest our tight resources. The statewide economic benefit of CASA volunteers totals almost $4.3 million. Many of us can agree that’s not only a good economic investment, but also a great investment in our society.

Ben Brahinsky is the chair of the Colorado CASA’s board of directors and the managing partner of Leap Financial in Denver, Colorado .

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Adams and Broomfield Counties is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that trains, supports and supervises community volunteers who advocate for the best interests of innocent child victims of abuse and neglect. Each year, in Adams and Broomfield Counties, there are over 1,500 children who have been physically, sexually or emotionally abused or neglected, and who are in desperate need of a caring, committed CASA Volunteer to speak up for their best interests. In Adams and Broomfield Counties , there are over 180 CASA volunteers, and we are in need of more great community members to become advocates for children. CASA conducts volunteer training classes three times a year. The next class begins in June 2009. For more information about CASA, call (303) 654-3378 or visit www.casa17th.org.