When a child doesn’t receive a strong start in life, CASA of the Fox Cities works to change the trajectory of their story.

CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, trains volunteers to monitor children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Many of these children are recovering afrom traumatic events, and they do not always have the words to express their feelings.

A CASA advocate arrived at a childcare center to meet a child who greeted them with a big smile on their face. They grabbed the advocate by the hand and led them to the class “feeling” chart.

The child lifted their hand and moved their name from the feeling mad category to the feeling loved category.

While it often takes years for children to reflect back on who supported them during their journey, advocates see a glimmer of their impact in moments like these.

Preventing child abuse and neglect results in better childhoods, which leads to stronger communities. With an approach to education that spans from cradle to career, United Way-funded programs support tomorrow’s leaders so they can build a better foundation today.