CASA Receives Grant to Expand Services

Published 5:15 pm Wednesday, October 28, 2026

For children and families navigating the foster care system, having a safe, welcoming place to spend time together can make a big difference.

CASA of Southwest Missouri is working to bring more of those opportunities to Taney County, thanks to a recent grant from the Skaggs Foundation.

The organization received a Community Impact Award that will help it expand services for children and families involved in the child welfare system.

Sarah Walraven, Programs Director for CASA of Southwest Missouri, says the idea grew out of the success of the CASA Clubhouse in Springfield, which opened in 2023.

“When I joined staff, we had the four walls around it, but the program was still to be created and implemented,” Walraven said.

With support from CASA leadership and a successful fundraising campaign, the clubhouse became a place where children and families could connect, learn everyday skills and spend time together.

CASA serves Greene, Christian and Taney counties. Walraven says the organization soon realized that families outside Springfield could benefit from similar resources closer to home.

She says Taney County has a particularly high number of children in foster care compared to its population, making the need for additional support especially important.

The Springfield clubhouse provides a home-like setting for supervised parent-child visits, tutoring, cooking classes, and other life skills programs. It also offers basic necessities, including food, clothing, and laundry facilities.

For parents working toward reunification with their children, the setting offers an opportunity to practice parenting skills while meeting reunification requirements.

Walraven says the clubhouse also helps CASA reach children who are still waiting to be assigned a volunteer advocate.

The Skaggs Foundation grant will help the organization bring similar services to Taney County.

CASA learned it had received the grant about a month before the foundation publicly announced the award at a recent ceremony in Branson.

Walraven says the organization is grateful for the foundation’s support and hopes the expansion will encourage more people to become CASA volunteers.

Volunteers do not need prior child welfare experience. Applicants complete an interview and 30 hours of training before the courts swear them in.

Walraven says being a good CASA volunteer often starts with something simple, like getting to know a child’s interests.

“It’s getting to know a kid’s favorite ice cream flavor. It’s playing basketball with them. It’s teaching them how to play guitar,” she said.

Those everyday connections can help children feel supported during difficult times.

Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about CASA of Southwest Missouri can visit www.casa-swmo.org and select the “Become a Volunteer” link.

For Walraven and the CASA team, the grant offers another opportunity to reach children and families who could use a little extra support.