All in-person child visits are suspended through June 5, 2020.

NOTE: If you have any questions or concerns about potential Coronavirus symptoms, please call the Anne Arundel County Health Department Coronavirus hotline at (410)222-7095 to receive updated information about the coronavirus disease. *Please contact 911 for medical emergencies only. Do not contact 911 for Coronavirus related issues.

Like many of you, we are paying close attention to the evolving COVID-19 situation locally and nationwide. The safety of the children we serve, our volunteers and our staff is paramount. We are determined to take prudent measures to help keep people safe, while attempting to avoid panic and continuing to fulfill our critical mission. We’re adjusting our practices and protocols to prioritize safety while still supporting our essential advocacy for children in need. As the situation evolves, we will continue to evaluate our practices and response, and this page will be updated to reflect the most recent information for our community.

Maryland schools will be closed through April 24, 2020.

The Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County will be closed to the public through June 5, 2020. CLICK HERE for updates from the Maryland Judiciary.

Child Visits

All in-person visits with our children and youth are suspended until June 5, 2020. To protect the health of all, we must abide by the social distancing protocols that are unique to this crisis.

Staying in contact with your child or youth during this period of social distancing is as important as ever. Children and teens are impacted by the unknown, and that fear can manifest itself in depression, anxiety or concerning behaviors. Being available to your youth and his or her caregivers to check in, lend support, or facilitate communication continues to be a very important part of your role. CASA is asking that each volunteer maintain contact with their youth by video chat or phone call once per week. Additional contact can be made by text, email or phone. Each youth is unique and your communication should be tailored to their age and willingness to “chat.”  Some volunteers should be checking in with caregivers, rather than children based on age or developmental level. Consult with your Case Supervisor to determine the level of communication that is right for you.

CASA also wants to be available to support you during this crisis. Your Case Supervisor continues to work remotely and can be reached by email. Please communicate with your Case Supervisor about additional ways to keep in touch. Expect weekly contact from your Case Supervisor to check in and offer support.

We are aware that our new normal is very strange and requires quite a bit of adaptation to our daily routines. We encourage you to share any challenges you face in the coming weeks so CASA can adapt as well. We appreciate your commitment to your CASA youth’s well-being.

• It is important that CASA volunteers stay in contact with their CASA youth to make sure they continue to be safe and healthy. During this period, we require weekly contact via phone or FaceTime (or a similar video conferencing tool) during the hiatus of in-person visits. Video calling is preferred to allow for visual check-ins, however phone calls are acceptable if video calling is unavailable. Texting, emailing, and chatting are acceptable ways to supplement communications.
• Staying in contact is particularly important because schools are closed. CASA volunteers can check in with children and their families (foster and biological) in an effort to ensure that they are maintaining their physical and mental health, that they are able to complete any assigned schoolwork, that they have a sufficient supply of medication, and to support them through any anxiety that they may be feeling at this time. We also want to check in and make sure that older youth and families have enough groceries and other supplies. If you find that older youth or families need assistance, please communicate with CASA staff so we can communicate with the Department of Social Services and provide support in addressing those concerns

Call the Anne Arundel County Crisis Warmline at (410) 768-5522 for a mental health crisis or call 911

To support a child and his or her family, when making weekly check in calls, inquire about items such as:

• Health of all household members — physical and mental
• How are school/distance learning assignments being completed? What was sent by the district/teacher? Is the teacher available via email to help, if needed? Could the CASA assist virtually?
• What is the family doing to keep busy daily?
• Is anyone in the household still working outside the home?
• Has the child/children had any issues behaviorally since being home?
• If the child’s visitation has been suspended due to COVID-19, have they been able to stay in touch with their parent/sibling(s) by phone?
• Is the household having any other challenges? (Financial, shortage of food, childcare for healthcare workers/first responders, etc.)
• Are there upcoming non-urgent medical/dental appointments for the child/children that have been cancelled?
• Does the caretaker have supportive individuals they are relying on right now to stay calm and healthy?
• For more information, please see the National CASA GAL Association’s guidelines on safely staying in contact with children during this time.

Should there be a disruption of your child’s placement OR should you identify household needs that need to be addressed, please advise your Case Supervisor immediately. 

Here are some great tips and tools from our colleagues at CASA Wisconsin for setting up video calling, ideas for activities you can do virtually and guidance on advocacy at a distance.