CASA for Kids of Flathead County has seen community support grow tremendously over the last four Great Fish Community Challenges, making the campaign CASA’s largest single source of revenue. These funds directly impact CASA’s ability to provide advocates to children and have allowed them to serve 304 children from Flathead County last year. This reflects a 31% increase since 2014!
CASA has grown and become stronger not only from participation in the Great Fish Community Challenge, but also from a growing Permanent Endowment Fund. This garnered stability has in turn allowed the Flathead CASA program to become a resource, and respond to the needs of children in neighboring communities.
Over the years, the Supreme Court and Lincoln County District Court Judge have repeatedly approached the Flathead Valley program to help launch a CASA program in Lincoln County. CASA’s goal is that this program will be funded entirely from Lincoln County sources as soon as possible, but at this time, the community lacks the resources and expertise to launch a program without outside help. Currently, there are 60-80 children in Lincoln County in need of support. Thanks to the stability of the Flathead County CASA for Kids fostered through participation in the Great Fish Community Challenge, CASA has a solid platform to help establish services in Lincoln County.
In November, CASA for Kids hired Sean Carlin to serve as the Lincoln County Program Director. Flathead Valley Community College partnered with CASA to provide an office and meeting space at the Lincoln County Campus. Sean will be running two CASA Guardian ad Litem (GAL) classes simultaneously, January 29 – March 19. The first Lincoln County CASA for Kids GAL Advocates will graduate March 21 and soon be assigned to this severely undeserved population of children.
