LaSalle County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) News Release

For Immediate Release:

On April 24th, 2025, LaSalle County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) got the news that the Department of Justice has cut funding to the National CASA/GAL Association. As a result, National CASA, which receives the vast majority of their funding through the DOJ, has ceased operations effective immediately.

What does this mean for the children of LaSalle County currently being served by CASA?

We are moving forward with our mission to serve the children of LaSalle County who have experienced abuse and neglect as we have for the last 25 years. LaSalle County CASA does not receive any federal funding directly or indirectly through the Illinois CASA Association. We are grateful for the continued support from the State of Illinois and DCFS, as well as our local funding from our county, organizations, and donors.

That being said, we want to use this news to emphasize the importance of local community support. Without the people, businesses, and charitable organizations of LaSalle County, we would not be in a position to continue providing our services. LaSalle County CASA needs help and support from our community to continue our work. This can be through monetary donations, volunteering to become a CASA advocate, or simply through spreading the word of CASA’s presence and work.

We would love to see as many of you as possible at our Luau fundraiser on July 26th, and we are looking forward to a summer filled with weekend events to spread our mission and recruit new advocates.

If you want any more information on LaSalle County CASA or want to find out how you can become an advocate, visit www.lasallecountycasa.org or call 815-434-2620.

Alexandria Wamhoff
Executive Director, LaSalle County CASA

Brian Dose
Board President