There’s something special about coming together in person as a network. Across several days in San Marcos, the CASA network gathered to learn, connect, celebrate, and find renewed inspiration for the work ahead. Under this year’s theme, Advocacy in Motion: Moving with Purpose and Heart, the conference was a reminder and a celebration of the passion, purpose, and heart that drive CASA advocacy every day.

Representatives from 67 local CASA programs and seven states (OK, NM, SD, IL, KS, AZ, and KY) gathered to share ideas, strengthen partnerships, and explore new ways to support children and families. The conference welcomed 145 CASA volunteers, 356 local program staff and board members, and 24 committed partners, recognizing the people and relationships at the heart of CASA advocacy and the collective commitment to helping children move toward safety, healing, and a brighter future.

Our Public Policy Team has several updates and reminders to share as we prepare for the 90th Legislative Session. Check out the full blog post for the latest legislative news, resources, upcoming events, and ways to stay engaged. Use the clickable table of contents to jump directly to the topics most relevant to you.

As always, when you meet or engage with legislators, please complete the Legislative Visit Feedback Form. Thank you for continuing to connect with legislators across the state! To find your CASA program’s legislators, visit this page.

Starting September 17, Supervisors across the Texas CASA network will gather on the third Thursday of each month at noon CT for STAR Monthly Calls. Each call will feature a monthly topic, along with an In Our Orbit segment for current events and whatever the network is carrying right now. Topics this year include working with SSCCs, secondary trauma, immigration and deportation, volunteer motivation, and more. All calls will be held on Zoom, and topics are subject to change.

We’re excited to introduce our newly revised Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE) Pocket Guide! The updated guide features practical connection tools to help CASA volunteers, caseworkers, and child welfare professionals build relationships and engage children and families in meaningful ways.

Over the next year, we’ll spotlight one tool each month, sharing tips for incorporating these strategies into everyday advocacy and work. Printed Pocket Guides are now available! If your CASA program, CPS office, or SSCC team would like copies, reach out to your CFE Coach or email cfeteam@texascasa.org.

Next month, we’ll kick off the series with the Ring of Hope, a new CFE tool designed to help children, youth, and families build resilience, manage stress, strengthen connections, and develop hope for the future. We hope you’ll follow along!

People often volunteer because they’re looking for a sense of community and belonging. Consider planning a special gathering or night out for each training class. Brush Country CASA invites each class to dinner, giving volunteers a chance to get to know one another, along with recruiters, trainers, and supervisors, in a casual setting. These gatherings help volunteers feel more connected and comfortable asking questions, while giving recruiters insight into volunteers’ backgrounds and potential communities to connect with for future recruitment.

Catch-up on recent communications sent to Executive Directors. Here you’ll find a roundup of emails from the past few weeks, including their dates and subject lines so you can easily revisit anything you may have overlooked.

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