ProKids is a nonprofit organization in Hamilton County, Ohio, that mobilizes the community by training and supporting volunteers who break the vicious cycle of child abuse and neglect. ProKids Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA Volunteers) speak up for abused and neglected children, guiding them to safe environments where they can thrive.
Selected as a ‘Top Place to Work in Cincinnati’ for fourteen years in a row, The Gorilla Glue Company is family-owned and operated, priding itself on its family atmosphere and fun-but-serious products.
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers advocate for children and help guide them into safe environments where they can thrive. ProKids CASA volunteers are the heart of the organization’s advocacy; receiving the tools, resources, and support they need so that they can speak up for children who have been abused and neglected.
ProKids vision is a safe, permanent, and nurturing home for every child.
The first step in changing a child’s life is a ProKids Snapshot. During this informational session, you will learn about the mission, volunteers, the incredible children we serve, and the many ways you would be good at this work. There is no cost or commitment to attend this virtual session.
Details can be found at ProKids.org.
Meet “Andrea.”
Andrea, born premature and with a cleft lip and palate, was removed from her parents at birth. Just three days prior, her mom – who had a history of drug use – tested positive for cocaine in the hospital. In the days that followed, a ProKids CASA Volunteer named Grace would become her constant. As she entered the child protection system, she’d have an advocate.
The foster parents Andrea was placed with saw her through this challenging time with a fierce commitment. Due to her condition, she was likely to choke on liquids, so the couple took turns staying up to ensure she slept safely.
ProKids advocated alongside them for Andrea to receive the best medical care possible. Grace collaborated with a team at the hospital and kept track of Andrea’s frequent medical appointments, which were organized in a hugely-detailed spreadsheet (something that prompted her CASA Manager to dub her “ProKids’ Spreadsheet Queen”).
Now adopted by her foster parents – in a step her ProKids team supported – Andrea will continue to receive excellent care. She’ll have six to nine surgeries by the time she turns 18 and will receive counseling to become carefree and confident. According to Grace, she has a long way to go but will be surrounded by the love of family through it all.
Meet “Tony.”
When “Tony” entered the child protection system at the age of 8, it wasn’t his first time in care. Years before, due to domestic violence and drug use at home, he was removed from his parents and sent to live with his grandma.
Till her death, Tony did experience stability. But when she passed suddenly, he went back to the care of his dad — unbeknownst to the system. Later, when he lost stable housing, Tony’s father left him at school and dropped contact entirely.
Struggling through both loss and abandonment, Tony moved through a number of foster homes. His ProKids CASA Volunteer, Melanie, saw him through each one, working to ease the transitions and keep him connected to therapeutic and educational services.
From the beginning, each foster home grappled with Tony’s behaviors. His fits left furniture destroyed, and at school, he escaped from his classrooms. He struggled to read and write at grade level and fell far below the standards.
But ProKids’ Education Team worked with his teachers to establish some structure, and Melanie continued to push for collaborative meetings. She maintained that if they didn’t meet Tony where he was, he would only get further behind.
Things changed for Tony when he was placed in his final foster home. While Tony had always been the youngest in his family (one of eight siblings), he suddenly had a chance to be a role model himself — as the new big brother to his foster mom’s toddler. Coupled with a school change, he was truly making progress.
While before he was trapped in a cycle — surrounded by teachers and students who knew him only for his outbursts — in a new environment, one that would hold him to a higher standard, he could choose to move forward. Melanie told him as he made that transition: “Tony, you’re in a new place. Nobody knows you, so you can finally be you. You can be this grown up.”
Melanie noted that throughout the case, it was rare for Tony to receive positive feedback. As his CASA, she felt it wasn’t just her job to advocate in his best interest but to provide the affirmation that so often was missing.
Sometimes that looked like getting football-shaped cookies to celebrate the start of his sports season. Or, it was as simple as congratulating him on his recent test scores (amazingly, he was finally reaching grade level).
Melanie was there for Tony throughout his journey, and after four years in the system, he was finally adopted — a step that was fully supported by his ProKids team. Today, he is thriving, part of a beautiful family, with his new baby brother and adoptive mother.
