Every May, communities across the country pause to honor the children in foster care, the families who care for them, and the advocates who walk beside them. National Foster Care Month is a time to reflect on how far we have come and how much more work remains.
At CASA of the Eastern Panhandle, this month is personal.
The Children We Serve
In 2025, 961 children in our tri-county region appeared before the courts due to abuse or neglect. Of those, 455 were served by CASA-EP through volunteer advocates and staff. That means 338 children had a trained CASA volunteer appointed by a judge to speak up for them. Another 69 were served directly by staff.
And 554 children were still waiting.
Those numbers reflect real kids in Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties. Children who may be moving between homes, changing schools, and trying to make sense of a system they did not choose. Foster care can provide safety, but it can also bring disruption. A CASA volunteer helps provide something vital during that time: consistency.
The Role of Foster and Kinship Families
Foster families and kinship caregivers are essential to this work. They open their homes and their lives to children who need stability. Kinship care, where children are placed with relatives or close family friends, can be especially powerful. It helps maintain family connections, cultural identity, and emotional continuity during an otherwise uncertain time.
These families do not do this work alone. CASA-EP is here to support them.
Our volunteers work alongside foster and kinship families by gathering information, maintaining relationships with children, and ensuring the court has a full picture of what each child needs. When a foster parent has concerns, a CASA advocate can help make sure those concerns are heard. When a child is struggling, an advocate can help connect the right resources.
How You Can Help This Month
National Foster Care Month is a reminder that every child deserves a safe, permanent home and someone in their corner. There are meaningful ways to get involved:
- Become a CASA volunteer and be that consistent presence for a child
- Support our programs through a gift or sponsorship
- Spread the word so others in our community know this work exists
If you have ever considered fostering or becoming an advocate, May is a good time to take that first step.
Learn more at mycasaep.org.
