Episode # 30
Click Here For the Audio: What it’s like Being a CASA Child Advocate
Summary:
This is a short description of one Community CASA Guardian ad Litem’s experience being a child advocate in the Child Protection System.
Speaking Out
Many of you reading this post may not be in the job you are doing this time next year. DOGE and other Federal policy changes have determined that the work being done for at-risk children and families is either wasteful or like DEI the wrong approach to public policy. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently stated that significantly less than 20% of funding cuts will be reversed leaving even volunteer organizations like CASA child advocates (Guardians ad Litems) and CAC’s (Child Advocacy Centers) without the resources to manage volunteers. Just these two organizations keep 500,000 children safe in Child Protective Services (CPS) annually. Tens of millions children and youth will be kicked off of programs through our institutions of Education, Health Care (especially mental health), and Social Services (see specifics below in the READ MORE).
Most of the public and the legislators that work for them, know little or nothing about the information in this article or on this website. Until this changes, life will continue to deteriorate for abused and neglected children and at-risk families.
KARA encourages those of you who know what is happening and can, to speak out. While you are in the job, you are vulnerable. You can’t make waves because you have a family and you need the paycheck – and you like what you do and it makes life better for the children and families you work with. This article is written for those of you who will be terminated in the coming months who can be outspoken to become a voice for these children and share it with your friends, circle of influence, and most importantly, your State Representatives and other government officials.
Abused and Neglected children have no voice in their homes, the media, or the State House. Even if they did, what would they say and to whom? Most of them don’t even know that what is happening to them is wrong. Until more of our friends and neighbors understand the impact of these changes and how they hurt children and families and our communities, the misery will continue to grow. Speak out for an at-risk child: Find your State Rep Here and Share this post with them, your friends, and your circle of influence.
Child and Family Services Impacted by DOGE Cuts and Recent Policy Changes
- Early Childhood Education and Care
Head Start and Early Head Start: Funding has been slashed by 40–50%, leading to program closures, layoffs, and reduced access for low-income families. This jeopardizes early learning, health, and family well-being services for hundreds of thousands of children.
Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF): Cuts and administrative upheaval have led to child care shortages, especially for families of color and those with low incomes. Federal workforce reductions have closed regional offices and reduced support for providers.
Preschool Development Grants: Eliminated entirely, resulting in a $315 million loss for early learning and care programs.
Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS): Eliminated, reducing support for student parents by $75 million.
- Child Protection and Welfare
Child Protective Services (CPS): Funding and staffing cuts have reduced capacity for investigating abuse and neglect, slowed response times, and increased caseloads for remaining workers.
Social Services Block Grant (SSBG): The $1.7 billion annual grant that funds state child welfare, foster care, adoption, and family support services has been disrupted, threatening the stability of these programs nationwide.
Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention: Reductions in flexible funding for prevention and family support have increased risks of maltreatment and family crises.
Foster Care and Adoption Support: States face uncertainty and potential service gaps due to federal funding instability and lack of administrative support.
- Health Care and Mental Health
Medicaid and CHIP: Over $1 trillion in cuts over the next decade, new work requirements, and increased administrative hurdles are expected to disenroll millions of children, particularly those in foster care, with disabilities, or in low-income families. Pediatric hospitals and clinics are under financial strain, threatening access to specialty and mental health care.
Maternal and Child Health Programs: Proposed $274 million cut, reducing support for prenatal, infant, and child health services.
Mental Health and Developmental Services: Financial instability is jeopardizing school-based and community mental health programs, especially those serving children with special needs.
- Nutrition and Food Security
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Federal funding cuts have ended the guarantee of food assistance for all low-income children, shifting the burden to states and increasing food insecurity.
School Nutrition Programs: Cuts to farm-to-school grants and related funding have reduced access to fresh, healthy food in schools, especially in low-income districts.
Community Services Block Grant: Eliminated, removing a key source of support for local food and nutrition programs.
- Education and Youth Development
Title I Funding: A $4.5 billion reduction, impacting schools serving high numbers of low-income students, including those in foster care or the juvenile justice system.
TRIO and Migrant Student Programs: Proposed elimination of $1.6 billion in TRIO outreach and $428 million in Migrant Student programs, reducing support for disadvantaged and mobile student populations.
IDEA Preschool Grants: Eliminated, cutting $420 million for early intervention and special education for young children.
After-School and Enrichment Programs: Many before- and after-school programs are at risk due to consolidation or elimination of funding streams.
- Child Support Enforcement
Federal Child Support Office: Massive layoffs and loss of technical support threaten the enforcement of child support orders, risking delays or missed payments for custodial families.
- Housing and Social Services
Section 8 and Rental Assistance: Plans to convert federal rental assistance to state block grants will reduce funding by $26.7 billion, limiting housing support for families in crisis and youth aging out of foster care.
Community Services Block Grant: Eliminated, removing funding for local agencies that provide emergency assistance, housing, and family support.
State and Local Impacts
Service Reductions: States are forced to cut eligibility, services, or provider payments in Medicaid and other programs, especially where federal funding is withdrawn.
Administrative Confusion: Closure of regional offices and loss of federal contacts have left state and local agencies without guidance or support, slowing service delivery and oversight.
Ripple Effects: Cuts to federal workforce and funding are causing closures of child care centers on federal properties, reduced access to social services, and increased pressure on local governments to fill gaps.
Summary Table: Key Services and Impact
| Service Area | Impact of Cuts/Policy Changes |
| Early Childhood Education | Head Start, CCDF, preschool grants cut; program closures |
| Child Protection/Welfare | Reduced CPS, foster care, adoption, prevention funding |
| Health/Mental Health | Medicaid/CHIP cuts, loss of specialty/mental health services |
| Nutrition/Food Security | SNAP, school meal, and community nutrition cuts |
| Education/Youth Development | Title I, TRIO, IDEA, after-school program reductions |
| Child Support Enforcement | Loss of federal support, delayed payments |
| Housing/Social Services | Section 8, rental, and community service funding eliminated |
The cumulative effect of DOGE-driven and other recent policy changes is a historic rollback of the safety net for children and families. The most severe impacts are concentrated among low-income families, children of color, and those with special needs, but the destabilization of programs and services is being felt nationwide at every level of government.
County governments, churches, and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are on the front lines of delivering child and family services—and the recent federal, state, and local cuts are dramatically increasing the strain on these entities.
County Services
Counties administer a wide range of human services, including:
Child protection and foster care
SNAP (food assistance) and Medicaid enrollment
Substance use disorder assessments
Disability and long-term care waivers
Public health and emergency preparedness
Impact of Cuts:
Counties are being forced to absorb significant new costs as federal and state funding is reduced or shifted to the local level. For example, SNAP administrative reimbursements have been slashed by 50%, and counties now must cover a much larger share of program costs.
Counties are also facing cuts to substance use disorder assessments, harm reduction grants, and disability services, with some costs for residential and other supports now pushed onto local governments.
The only flexible revenue source counties have is property taxes, leading to projected increases averaging 3.25% statewide, with some counties facing hikes as high as 10% just to maintain basic services.
Administrative burdens are rising while staff and technology capacity remain flat or are being reduced, resulting in delays and gaps in service delivery.
Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are expected to drive up demand for child protection and out-of-home placements, further straining county budgets and social workers.
Church and Faith-Based Services
Churches and faith-based organizations provide:
Food pantries and meal programs
Emergency financial assistance
Family counseling and crisis intervention
After-school and youth mentoring programs
Shelter and transitional housing
Impact of Cuts:
As government funding for food, housing, and emergency assistance is cut, more families are turning to churches for help. This is overwhelming the capacity of many congregations, especially in low-income and rural areas.
Faith-based organizations often rely on small grants and partnerships with counties or states; as these are reduced or eliminated, churches are forced to scale back programs or turn people away.
Increased demand for food and shelter is expected to outpace donations and volunteer capacity, leading to more unmet needs in the community.
Other NGOs and Community-Based Organizations:
Domestic violence shelters
Legal aid and advocacy for children and families
Mental health and disability support
Job training and employment services
Community health clinics
Impact of Cuts:
Many NGOs depend on county, state, or federal grants that are now being reduced or eliminated. For example, cuts to the Social Services Block Grant and Community Services Block Grant remove flexible funding that NGOs use to fill local gaps.
Reductions in Medicaid and public health funding mean fewer resources for community clinics, mental health programs, and services for children with disabilities.
Layoffs and program closures are already occurring, as seen with the Minnesota Department of Health and its partner agencies, which have had to suspend vaccine clinics, emergency preparedness, and youth public health programs due to federal cuts.
The ripple effect is a greater reliance on already-stretched NGOs, with fewer resources to meet growing needs.
Summary Table: Key Impacts by Sector
| Sector | Services Provided | Impact of Cuts and Policy Changes |
| Counties | Child protection, SNAP, Medicaid, SUD, LTC | Higher costs, property tax hikes, staff/admin burden, service gaps |
| Churches | Food, shelter, crisis support, youth | Overwhelmed capacity, reduced grants, increased unmet need |
| NGOs | DV shelters, legal aid, health, jobs | Grant loss, layoffs, program closures, increased demand |
In summary:
Counties, churches, and NGOs are all absorbing the fallout from deep federal and state cuts. Counties face higher costs and administrative burdens, likely leading to higher property taxes or service cuts. Churches and NGOs are seeing surges in demand for basic needs and crisis intervention, even as their own funding is reduced. The net result is a fraying social safety net, with more children and families falling through the cracks and local institutions struggling to keep up.
INVISIBLECHILDREN – KARA (KIDS AT RISK ACTION
“What we do to our children, they will do to our society”
(Pliny the Elder, 2000 years ago)
#doge,#budget,#cuts,#publicpolicy,#childwellbeing,#ChildAbuse,#EarlyChildhoodPrograms,#Education,#ChildDevelopment,#Economics,#ROI,#Statistics,#KARA,#KIDSATRISK,#crime,#recidivism,#juvenilejustice#childprotection,#cps,#education,#healthcare
