ProKids trains volunteers to become Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs). Each CASA volunteer is assigned to a foster child, making sure the child’s needs are met, that the child is safe, and helping each child move into a safe, permanent, and nurturing home.
ProKids was founded in 1981 by Hamilton County Juvenile Court, the Cincinnati Bar Association, and the Junior League of Cincinnati.
ProKids is Hamilton County’s CASA volunteer program, one of more than 900 CASA volunteer programs nationwide, and part of the National CASA Association.
ProKids is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3). In 2008, our major funding sources were:
- 31% Private Foundations and Grants
- 27% ProKids Friends of Children Society
- 10% ProKids Fund-Raising Events
- 9% United Way of Greater Cincinnati
- 9% Donations
- 7% Federal and State Grants
- 4% Sponsorships
- 3% Other
ProKids Vision Statement
A safe, permanent, and nurturing home for every child
ProKids Mission Statement
ProKids is a nonprofit agency that provides outstanding volunteer advocacy for children in Hamilton County who have been abused and neglected and, through no fault of their own, are in the court system.
ProKids recruits, trains, and supports community volunteers known as CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) volunteers to provide a powerful voice for these children.
ProKids provides leadership and education to the community by creating specialized programs such as Building Blocks for children age birth to 3 years old, Steps to Peace to address family violence, and the CASA University training program.
ProKids cultivates a committed community that provides the financial support necessary to reach more of these children and to stop the cycle of abuse and neglect.
ProKids History
This year in Hamilton County over 2,000 children will be so severely abused and neglected that they will be removed from their homes and placed in the foster care system. Imagine being taken away from the only family you have ever known. Then, you are taken to a strange place to live temporarily until a permanent solution can be found. Through the eyes of a child who has been abused and neglected, the world is a frightening place.
For 30 years, ProKids has been a pioneer in the advocacy for abused and neglected children of the foster care system. The ProKids history has been written by the hard work and dedication of the staff, volunteers, and donors who support ProKids.
Mid-1970s
A national movement began in Seattle, Washington that sought intensive monitoring of the child welfare system. This movement stemmed from the realization that some children were ill-treated or ignored by the very institutions created to care for them.
The federal government established a requirement for Guardian ad Litems (GALs) to represent children in court proceedings. However, these representatives were rarely trained to act as advocates in and out of the courtroom for the children they were appointed to represent.
1977
The first volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program was started in Seattle by Judge David Soukup. Judge Soukup began recruiting and training volunteers to serve as a voice for children involved in abuse and neglect court actions. In addition to appearing at hearings, these volunteers talked to teachers, caregivers, and relatives to ensure that the children received all needed services. Judge Soukup named these volunteers Court Appointed Special Advocates or CASAs for short.
1981
Cincinnati-based ProKids was founded through the joint efforts of the Junior League of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Bar Association, and the Hamilton County Juvenile Court. By 1981 there were 25 CASA programs nationwide; ProKids was the second in Ohio.
In its first year, ProKids established a 12-person Board of Trustees, had three staff members, and served more than 100 children. ProKids volunteers and staff conducted investigations that located parents, siblings, and relatives; helped find housing for families of children; and worked to keep children in loving foster care homes.
1983
Membership of the ProKids Board of Trustees increased to 15, committees were formed, and internal agency operation was formalized. Fund-raising efforts increased, resulting in many new funders.
1984
ProKids joined the newly formed National CASA/GAL Association.
1987
ProKids began receiving funding from the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, becoming one of the first CASA volunteer programs in the nation to develop this relationship.
1991
Hamilton County issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for GAL services for all abused and neglected children in the county. This contract would be reviewed and renewed every three years by the Hamilton County Commissioners. Two agencies in Hamilton County answered this RFP. Having provided CASA volunteer services for 10 years with excellence – ProKids was awarded the contract. ProKids made the transition to operating a CASA volunteer program and a paid GAL program. The staff grew to 23 and ProKids began serving over 1,000 children.
1993
ProKids joined the newly formed Ohio CASA/GAL Association.
1994
ProKids Board of Trustees worked diligently with the Hamilton County Commissioners to renew the contract for GAL services in 1994. After much effort and analysis, ProKids accepted a contract that provided fewer dollars than necessary to maintain a quality GAL program. At risk was the loss of the independent advocates for more than 1,000 children. ProKids took on the task of a greatly increased fund-raising campaign. The additional funds allowed ProKids to continue to provide the high quality of advocacy needed for the children.
1996
The GAL contract for services to abused and neglected children came up for renewal. The decision for the contract was transferred from the Hamilton County Commissioners to the Hamilton County Public Defenders Commission. The Hamilton County Public Defender’s Commission awarded the contract to the Hamilton County Public Defender's Office.
The ProKids Board of Trustees, with strong support from the Hamilton County Dependency Court and the community, made the decision to continue operations. ProKids would return to providing advocacy primarily through CASA volunteers.
In that same year with assistance and support of The United Way of Greater Cincinnati, ProKids develops child based Outcome Measures to track the effectiveness of our advocacy.
1997
ProKids staff presents Outcome Measures training at the Ohio CASA/GAL State Conference.
1999
ProKids staff present Outcome Measure training at the State of Ohio office of the Attorney General’s 2 Days in May Conference.
The greater need for CASA volunteers led ProKids to redesign our training program. The new training program, called CASA University, allows volunteers to access training year-round. In its first year, CASA University graduated more than twice the number of CASA volunteers than in 1998. The concept of non-sequential, continuous training for CASA volunteers was the first in the country.
2000
ProKids created Building Blocks to better serve children age birth to 3 years old. Building Blocks provides CASA volunteers with advanced training to gather more complete information about the development, environment, and care of young children so that the court can make more informed decisions.
2001
ProKids celebrated its 20th anniversary—20 years of standing up for foster children. ProKids celebrated with a Recognition Evening Gala on May 17, 2001. Approximately 200 guests joined ProKids in celebrating past and present volunteers and accomplishments.
2002
Staff presented Outcome Measures training at the National CASA/GAL Conference.
2003
Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro presented ProKids with the Promising Practice Award for CASA University at the annual Attorney General’s Victims of Crime Conference.
ProKids launched our Friends of Children Society. Our Friends of Children Society is a multi-year pledge society that provides the long-term stability ProKids needs to serve more waiting children. Membership is sought primarily at our Annual Friends of Children Breakfast, a one-on-one mission based fundraising event.
2004
Ohio Attorney General presented ProKids with the Promising Practice Award for the Building Blocks program at the annual Attorney General Victims of Crime Conference. This is an amazing accomplishment for ProKids; only five organizations in Ohio receive this award each year.
2005
ProKids developed Step to Peace (StoP) to address the critical needs of children who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence.
ProKids staff present on Advocating for Young Children in Juvenile Court at the Ohio Association for Infant Mental Health State Conference.
2008
Ohio Attorney General presented ProKids with the Promising Practice Award for the Steps to Peace Program the annual Attorney General Victims of Crime Conference. ProKids is the only agency in Ohio to receive this award 3 times.
ProKids staff present “Crawling Through The Crossfire; The Effects of Domestic Violence on Infants and Toddlers” at the National NOVA Conference.
ProKids Building Blocks CASA Volunteer Manager Holly Schlaack publishes Invisible Kids, an insider's view of foster care.
2009
ProKids staff present “Crawling Through The Crossfire; The Effects of Domestic Violence on Infants and Toddlers” at the National CASA/GAL Conference.
