The CASA of Monterey County (CMC) office is closed through April 7th. However, all CMC staff are working remotely and available as we continue to support and serve. Although the office is closed, we can be reached Monday through Friday 8:30 to 5:00 p.m. via email or by telephone, or as needed for unforeseen circumstances. Please visit our website for a complete list of staff and contact information: https://www.casaofmonterey.org/
Be safe and be well, you mean the world to us!
Please be advised, at this point in time, there should be no in-person contact with your CASA children.
The following guide will provide CASAs with valuable advice and resources for advocating for their CASA youth remotely during the Coronavirus / COVID-19 crisis.
Beginning March 25, 2020, and until further notice, CASA of Monterey County is asking CASAs to cease any in-person meetings with anyone related to your case, including your CASA children and the involved professionals. This change heightens the importance of regular check-ins with the child's caregivers and the various professionals on the case to ensure the children's needs are being met. We recommend calling the caregivers weekly during this time, as the children's regular activities, including school and therapy, were likely disrupted due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 concerns.
In addition, all in-person events, including Continuing Ed opportunities, have now been postponed. We will be exploring virtual options, rescheduling and keeping you updated on any changes.
We will update this guide regularly as new resources and advice become available; however, as always, please contact your advocate supervisor or another available staff member if you have any questions and concerns.
PROTOCAL UPDATES
Court
We will keep you informed on updates from the County and the Court as notifications are sent to our staff. Your Supervisor will keep you updated if any changes are occurring for your upcoming court dates. In the meantime, continue to write and submit your reports for the scheduled date until you hear otherwise.
The Court has rescheduled hearings through April 7. All March 24 hearings were continued to May 19, 2020 (same times). All April 7 hearings have been continued to June 2, 2020 (same times). All Oral Reviews (3-Month Reviews and NMD Reviews) have been canceled.
REMOTE ADVOCACY
Children's Activities
Maintaining your connection with your CASA children is vitally important during this time of uncertainty. Of course, a phone call cannot compare to a trip to a park or an ice cream treat. To that end, we have compiled a list of ideas to inspire creative alternatives to maintain that crucial relationship and the necessary social distancing while keeping the phone conversations entertaining. As some of these ideas involve mail correspondence, remember to use CASA of Monterey’s mailing address rather than your personal home address. We will do our best to forward correspondence to you in a timely fashion.
Calling Caregivers Phone calls might be a little different during this time, but it is important to check in. Calling the caregiver will help you get a well-rounded view of how your CASA kiddo is doing. If you need help with translation, give us a call. Use the link below to get some ideas of what questions you can ask the caregiver.
While there is a lot of information being shared right now, it can be hard to keep track of it all. The links below are related to COVID-19 response and may be of some assistance to you.
Services for Foster and Homeless Youth Cellphones
iFoster distributed cell phones to foster youth. A fact sheet, FAQ and application are available. Laptops
John Burton Advocates for Youth and iFoster are working to distribute laptops to campus programs and organizations worker with foster and homeless youth impacted by classes going online. Requests must come from a campus program and organization, which will then distribute laptops to individual students. Campus programs and organizations interested in accessing this resource should compete this form. If your youth needs a laptop, they should provide the form to an appropriate campus program or organization. Please note for youth under the age of 18 that this information should be provided to the caregiver rather than the youth directly.
Services for Disrupted College Students Housing If you know a foster youth displaced from their dorm, please emailinfo@togetherwerise.orgfor assistance in finding housing. Storage U-Haul is offering 30 days offree storagefor college students. Other Resources CA Meals for Kids Mobile App: California Department of Education’s (CDE) “CA Meals for Kids” mobile app has been updated to help students and families find meals during COVID-19-related emergency school closures.The CA Meals for Kids mobile application helps you find nearby California Afterschool and Summer Meal Programs Sites through your iOS, Android, or Microsoft devices.
CA Coronavirus Response:Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of a new Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) public awareness campaign to provide useful information to Californians and inform them of actions they can take to further prevent the spread of the virus.
Children Now Resources:Children Now has compiled a list of resources that is updated regularly. This resource can be filtered by topic and easy to look through so that you can find the resources best suited for you and your organization.
Census 2020 during COVID-19:The U.S. Census Bureau is carefully monitoring the coronavirus situation and will follow the guidance of federal, state and local health authorities.
CASA of Monterey County
945 South Main Street, Suite 107, Salinas, CA 93901
831-455-6800
