We've been reflecting on what 2025 has brought our CASA program and the children we serve day-in and day-out. As a result, we went back into the CASA Connection vault and are highlight three episodes from this year that meant a lot to us: Effective Advocacy For Youth Living In Foster Care, The Importance Of Resource Parents, and Healing Centered Practices. We hope you enjoy this "best of" 2025 podcast episode as we look towards 2026.

On this episode, Tracey and Jeff discuss various pathways to permanency within the foster care world. Every single family has their own set of circumstances. Every child is unique. How can we make sure we're providing the best path forward for everyone involved? That's what we discuss in this episode. At the root of what we do at CASA, we always strive for safety and permanency for the youth we serve.

This week, we're diving into the phrase "best interest" within the world of foster care. What does "best interest of a child" actually mean? Tracey and Jeff discussed various aspects of this topic, and how CASA volunteers are directly involved with making sure children have a voice. A great episode!

As the holidays approach, Tracey and Jeff talked about what we're thankful for, specifically within our CASA nonprofit. The nonprofit has continued to do great things in the community for children living in foster care and their families over this past year. This was a very heartfelt discussion.

In this episode, we shine a light on an issue that is, at time, overlooked within the foster care world — food insecurity within our communities and how it deeply affects children and families. From limited access to meals to the emotional impact of food instability, Tracey and Jeff discuss how hunger influences a child’s sense of safety, stability, and well-being. Our CASA program believes that we should all be working to ensure every child, no matter their circumstance, has consistent access to the nourishment they deserve.

This week, Jeff spoke to Jeanette Yoffe, a woman who wears many professional hats, but overall aims to educate the world about foster care and therapeutic practices. Her story is one that inspires. At 15-months-old, her mother - an Argentinian immigrant in Lower Manhattan struggling with severe mental health issues - dropped her off at what she believed was a child welfare center. She was mistaken and was accidentally placed in foster care. That initial separation and the many traumas that endured fueled her desire to become a social worker for children in the Los Angeles foster care system. She has developed a series of coping tools for foster kids and their caretakers. This was a fascinating conversation.

Here at our CASA SHaW program, we have a number of CASA volunteers who have been with our program for well over a decade. They have been the eyes and ears on their case(s) and have made an incredible difference in the lives of the children they have served. This is Part 3 of our "Why" series, as we talk to these amazing individuals and dive into their "why." Why they have stayed with CASA so long, and what their volunteerism has meant to them. Our incredible CASA volunteer, Phyllis Meichel, joined us this week to tell her story.

Here at our CASA SHaW program, we have a number of CASA volunteers who have been with our program for well over a decade. They have been the eyes and ears on their case(s) and have made an incredible difference in the lives of the children they have served. This is Part 2 of our "Why" series, as we talk to these amazing individuals and dive into their "why." Why they have stayed with CASA so long, and what their volunteerism has meant to them. Our incredible CASA volunteers, Lynn Kinkel and Nan Frankel, joined us this week to tell their stories.