Specialized Advocacy for Very Young Foster Children
The ProKids Building Blocks program was created to provide specialized advocacy for children ages birth to 3 years old who have been abused or neglected. The 1990s are heralded as the decade of the brain, and science has begun to unlock the mysteries surrounding what goes on in the minds of infants and toddlers and just how significantly they are impacted by abuse and neglect. Subsequent placement in foster care does not guarantee an end to their suffering, putting them at risk for long-term cognitive and social-emotional problems. ProKids Building Blocks CASAs are specially trained to recognize signs of trouble in young children and advocate accordingly.
What We Know About Babies and Young Children in Foster Care
Infants and toddlers are the fastest-growing category of children entering foster care in the U.S., and are likely to stay in care longer than older children.1 And, a study published in the October 2005 issue of Pediatrics found that as many as 80 percent have at least one chronic health problem for which they receive no healthcare attention.
Infants and toddlers in foster care may show signs of significant delays in language, cognition, and behavior. In fact, they have rates of developmental delay approximately four to five times greater than that found among children in the general population.2
When infants and toddlers do return home, they are more likely to experience a recurrence of maltreatment.3
Of all the children who died from abuse or neglect, 77 percent were younger than 4 years old.3
In 2007, abuse stopped for 99 percent of the children served by ProKids.
Building Blocks was awarded the 2004 Ohio Attorney General Promising Practice Award, which recognizes the outstanding services of an Ohio organization that empowers victims of crime.
How ProKids Building Blocks CASAs Make a Difference
Babies use a special language to communicate, and ProKids Building Blocks CASAs are trained to look for subtle clues that tell how a young child is doing. Building Blocks CASAs receive additional training in areas related to assessment of child development, caregiver/child interaction, and environmental stimulation, and advocate for necessary interventions. CASAs also ensure a child’s medical needs are being met. With this detailed information, the Building Blocks CASA volunteer is able to help the court make the best decisions possible regarding the child's placement and intervention.
Specialized Training and Resources for Building Blocks CASAs
- All Building Blocks CASAs complete 30 hours of training through ProKids CASA University.
- 10 hours of additional training are completed in areas related specifically to young children.
- Building Blocks CASAs use checklists developed by Building Blocks Program Advisors. Because these children cannot tell us with words what is happening behind closed doors, the checklists are an invaluable tool that identifies strengths and weaknesses within the child and the family unit.
- ProKids Building Blocks CASAs conduct visits with the child twice per month, and are required to visit the child in any setting where he or she spends a significant amount of time, such as a child care center.
- Photos taken regularly of the child are shared with the court as well as the biological parents and other relatives. Copies of all photos, along with documentation of important milestones, are provided to the caregiver at case termination.
- Additional materials, such as board books and toys that promote developmental skills, are distributed to Building Blocks children, along with blankets made by Project Linus volunteers and other information that is helpful to the caregivers.
1 Dicker, Gordon, and Knitzer. 2001; Wulczyn and Hislop. 2002.
2 Dicker and Gordon. 2000.
3 United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children and Families. 2002.
