Dr. Nadine Burke Harris Public Service Announcement (PSA) on ACEs and CASA

The California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (California CASA) announced today that it has released a series of new public service announcements (PSAs) featuring California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris. The 30- and 60-second-long PSAs, in English and Spanish, will be distributed across California media channels to raise awareness of California CASA’s mission to serve the more than 81,000 youth in California’s foster care system, the 44 local CASA programs in the state, and the thousands of CASA volunteers who advocate for children in foster care.

Dr. Burke Harris has spent her career studying childhood trauma, toxic stress, and the profound impact on public health. “It just takes one stable relationship with a caring adult to help reverse the negative impacts on a child who has experienced abuse or neglect,” she has stated. “Many children have been placed in the foster care system because of abuse or neglect, causing both physical and emotional pain. These Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, can also lead to lifelong health problems. But ACEs are not destiny. Studies have shown that just one supportive adult in the life of a child can reverse some of the negative impacts of ACEs. A Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, can help a child who has experienced abuse and neglect begin to heal from their past, and build a healthier future.”

California CASA CEO Sharon M. Lawrence, Esq., discussed the positive impact of the new PSAs, “We are so grateful for Dr. Burke Harris’s voice of support for the CASA model. CASA volunteers are everyday people who support children and families in crisis. They are recruited and trained by CASA programs in each county and are sworn in as Officers of the Court by a Juvenile Court judge. They fulfill a unique role to an abused and neglected child as they are one of the only adults who stay with them through their journey through the system. With over 81,000 in its care, California’s child welfare system has more foster youth than any state in the nation. CASA volunteers currently serve nearly 13,000 child victims of abuse and neglect through volunteer advocacy, but there are so many more who need our help. We hope these new videos will raise awareness for this urgent need and inspire more Californians to become CASAs.”

The new PSAs can be viewed at CaliforniaCASA.org and across California CASA’s social media channels. They will be featured in a statewide awareness campaign this fall and winter.