CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION OF LAS VEGAS

New Name, Same Heart

Formerly the CASA Foundation

SUPPORTING CHILDREN WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN IN FOSTER CARE SINCE 1983

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The Mission

The mission of the Children’s Foundation of Las Vegas is to provide unmet needs for children who are or have been in foster care in Clark County, Nevada.

Formerly the CASA Foundation of Las Vegas

Up until 2022, the Children’s Foundation of Las Vegas operated as the CASA Foundation. It was established in 1983 to promote and support the efforts of the Clark County Court Appointed Special Advocate Program. The Foundation provided funding, volunteer recognition, program assistance, and public relations activities for the CASA program to recruit and train volunteers for the last 40 years. For the last 30 years, the Foundation has added another component to its mission to identify and provide funds for the “unmet” needs of children and youth in foster care. The Children’s Foundation of Las Vegas is committed to making a difference in the lives of children who have been or are currently in foster care in Clark County, Nevada.

SOUTHERN NEVADA/CLARK COUNTY

There are more than 3,400 CHILDREN in foster care
On average children in foster care spend MORE THAN 1 YEAR in care
On average approximately 300 children age out

WHY WE NEED TO SUPPORT NEVADA’S MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN

75% of children in foster care perform below their academic grade level.
During their first year in care, most children experience instability, moving 2-3 times. All these children have faced loss and trauma in their lives. Up to 80% of children in foster care may have significant mental health issues.
The child welfare system is in a state of crisis, due in part to the devastating opioid epidemic.
1,900 children are victims of abuse or neglect every day.
5,274 documented abused and neglected children reside in Nevada.
More than 4,400 children are in Nevada’s foster care system on any given day.
Children spend an average of 13.2 months in care.

Providing Great Opportunities for Children in Foster Care

Foster youth often do not get to take part in activities and opportunities that most kids take for granted. Participating in an extracurricular activity can be beyond a child in foster care’s reach. The result is that many youths in care not only feel different and separate from their peers, but they also miss out on opportunities and experiences that allow them to build skills and relationships. All children in care want to be treated like “normal” kids. Experiences to achieve “normalcy” include participating in various activities such as school events, camps, sports, music, and the like. The goal is to ease the stigma that affects many foster youth and help smooth their path to adulthood through social activities and other experiences.

Unmet Needs Program

Current Spend 2022 YTD $33,242.82

Sports - Baseball, Football, Soccer, Basketball, Martial Arts, Volleyball, Boxing, Taekwondo
Camps - Specialty camps, Summer camps, Winter Camps, STEM camps
Lessons - Art, Music, Dance, Gymnastics, Horseback riding
School Activities - Homecoming, Prom, Sport Uniform and gear, school trips, leadership trips
Medical & Dental Devices - braces, helmets, walking devices
Aged-Out Youth Assistance - AOY Assistance Rent, Utilities, transportation, food, applications, GED tutoring, driving lesson
Travel - Flight assistance for reunification with family out of state
Miscellaneous - Just Ask!

Tutoring Program

Another critical need, vital to the future success of at-risk children in foster care, is education. The majority of foster children supported in our tutoring program have a major grade deficit. Our goal is to bring them to their current grade level. On average, students in foster care require 5.9 grade levels in math and in reading equivalent to 190 tutoring hours totaling $6,860. We have been very successful in changing the lives of these children in order for them to gain confidence in themselves moving forward in school. Partnering with the Tutoring Club, a local company that provides professional tutoring services throughout the Las Vegas valley, the Children’s Foundation of Las Vegas works to give each student the extra help they need to be successful academically. Our effective 10-year partnership with the Tutoring Club provides a team of highly qualified tutors, at cost-effective rates.