What it means to prioritize the child’s needs 

Children need a safe environment to learn, build skills and thrive. As a community, it’s important to make this possible for our youngest citizens. Struggling families can’t afford many of the basics required for their children to thrive.

Common unmet needs of children in poor families include:

• Health care needs
  • Dental care was identified as the most prevalent unmet health care need among poor children. Overall, 7.3% (4.7 million) of US children experienced at least one unmet health care need.

• Basic necessities:
  • The lack of these necessities make success in school and our communities a struggle not often won by at-risk children.

• • Food insecurity impacts children’s physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development.
  • Stable housing, as eviction can be both a symptom and cause of future adversity.

• Child care

• • Affordable, quality childcare is an important need for improving the lives of low-income families

• Parenting support

• • Parenting assistance and education were identified as crucial for improving children’s lives in low-income families.

• Mental health and behavioral support

• • Unmet mental healthcare needs impact children with emotional, developmental, or behavioral problems.

• Educational support

• • Resources necessary to support children’s learning and academic development. Children in dysfunctional homes suffer from parents that can’t support them in school due to addiction or a prior history of their own abuse and school failure. Often the chaos in the home defines the child as “not ready to learn” when they begin their school career and a predictor of future failure and dysfunction.

• Safety and security
  • Physical safety and emotional security just don’t exist in chaotic and often violent birth homes in the Child Protection System.

• Consistent caregiving

• • Inconsistent parenting patterns due to addictions, mental health and incarceration can lead to attachment issues and developmental challenges.

CASA Minnesota (also known as CASA MN) is a nonprofit organization based in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area (serving Hennepin and Ramsey counties). Our mission is to support, train, and retain volunteer Guardians ad Litem (GALs)—court-appointed advocates who represent the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect in the child protection system.

Our volunteers play a critical role in court proceedings, ensuring that children’s educational, medical, living, and familial needs are represented and prioritized—even in a system that can often be overloaded and under-resourced. CASA MN emphasizes matching volunteer advocates to children with whom they share cultural backgrounds or experiences, fostering stronger, more meaningful advocacy connections.

Additionally, we run CASA Cares grants, providing up to $500 per year per child to support enrichment opportunities—such as summer camps, music lessons, sports equipment, or cultural activities—giving foster youth moments of joy and development that aren’t covered by government aid. To date, they’ve distributed over $180,000 in direct grants to children across the state.