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ProKids is a Cincinnati, OH - based nonprofit organization whose vision is a safe, permanent, and nurturing home for every child. For 31 years, ProKids has been advocating for abused and neglected children by mobilizing its community to break the vicious cycle of child abuse and neglect. They recruit, train, and support community volunteers to speak up for children who have been abused and neglected, and help guide them into safe environments where they can thrive. The heart of this effort is the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer. Each CASA volunteer is assigned to a foster child – making sure the child is safe, that the child’s needs are being met, and helping each child move into a safe, permanent and nurturing home as quickly as possible. In order to maximize outcomes for all children in need, ProKids is also dedicated to creating alliances within the child protection system. Together, ProKids and those key groups can create a new cycle of growing up safe and secure, and fundamen­tally change the future for children and our entire community.

History For 31 years, ProKids has been a pioneer in the advocacy for abused and neglected children of the foster care system.

Mid-1970's: A national movement began in Seattle, Washington that sought intensive monitoring of the child welfare system. This movement stemmed from the realization that some children were ill-treated or ignored by the very institutions created to care for them. The federal government established a requirement for Guardian ad Litems (GALs) to represent children in court proceedings. However, these representatives were rarely trained to act as advocates in and out of the courtroom for the children they were appointed to represent.

1977: The first volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program was started in Seattle by Judge David Soukup. Judge Soukup began recruiting and training volunteers to serve as a voice for children involved in abuse and neglect court actions. In addition to appearing at hearings, these volunteers talked to teachers, caregivers and relatives to ensure that the children received all needed services. Judge Soukup named these volunteers Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASAs, for short.

1981: Cincinnati-based ProKids was founded though the joint efforts of the Junior League of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Bar Association and the Hamilton County Juvenile Court. By 1981 there were 25 CASA programs nationwide; ProKids was the second in Ohio. In its first year, ProKids established a 12-person Board of Trustees, had three staff members and served more than 100 children. ProKids volunteers and staff conducted investigations that located parents, siblings and relatives; they helped find housing for families of children and they worked to keep children in loving foster care homes.

1983: Membership of the ProKids Board of Trustees increased to 15, committees were formed, and internal agency operation was formalized. Fundraising efforts increased, resulting in many new donors.

1984: ProKids joined the newly formed National CASA/GAL Association.

1987: ProKids began receiving funding from the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, becoming one of the first CASA programs in the nation to develop this relationship.

1991: Hamilton County issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for GAL services for all abused and neglected children in the county. This contract would be reviewed and renewed every three years by the Hamilton County Commissioners. Two agencies in Hamilton County answered this RFP. Having provided CASA volunteer services for 10 years with excellence, ProKids was awarded the contract. ProKids made the transition to operating a CASA volunteer program and a paid GAL program. The staff grew to 23 and ProKids began serving over 1,000 children.

1993: ProKids joined the newly formed Ohio CASA/GAL Association.

1994: ProKids Board of Trustees worked diligently with the Hamilton County Commissioners to renew the contract for GAL services in 1994. After much effort and analysis, ProKids accepted a contract that provided fewer dollars than necessary to maintain a quality GAL program. At risk was the loss of the independent advocates for more than 1,000 children. ProKids took on the task of a greatly increased fundraising campaign. The additional funds allowed ProKids to continue to provide the high quality of advocacy needed for the children.

1996: The GAL contract for services to abused and neglected children came up for renewal. Responsibility for decision on the contract was transferred from the Hamilton County Commissioners to the Hamilton County Public Defender's Commission. The Hamilton County Public Defender's Commission awarded the contract to the Hamilton County Public Defender's Office.

The ProKids Board of Trustees, with strong support from the Hamilton County Dependency Court and the community, made the decision to continue operations. ProKids would return to providing advocacy primarily through CASA volunteers. In that same year, with assistance and support from The United Way of Greater Cincinnati, ProKids developed child-based Outcome Measures to track the effectiveness of their advocacy.

1997: ProKids staff present Outcome Measures training at the Ohio CASA/GAL State Conference.

1999: ProKids staff present Outcome Measure training at the State of Ohio Office of the Attorney General's 2 Days in May Conference.

The greater need for CASA volunteers led ProKids to redesign their training program. The new program, called CASA University, allows volunteers to access training year-round. In its first year, CASA University graduated more than twice the number of CASAs than in 1998. The concept of non-sequential, continuous training for CASA volunteers was the first in the country.