By Our Partners at Child Advocates of Silicon Valley
Since 2020, Child Advocates of Silicon Valley has been seeking community partners who are willing to provide programming and resources to the foster children they serve. With financial support from SVCREATES in the form of an Arts Access Grant, Red Ladder Theatre Company has been doing just that.
What started as an age appropriate video series during the pandemic, where kids and their assigned Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer could engage in creative activities together, has blossomed into a genuine partnership aimed at helping children heal through the arts.
For the past two years, Red Ladder artists have provided readers’ theatre-style participatory presentations and interactive activities related to the stories presented at Child Advocates’ Kidstravaganza — their annual literacy event. And plans are in the works to provide programming directly to CASAs, to give them a more robust toolkit for engaging with their advocate children on a regular basis.
Along with their CASAs, 7-year-old twin brothers Joey and Jesse attended Child Advocates’ most recent Kidstravaganza. Red Ladder Theatre Company put on a readers’ theatre where kids engage in a book while their imaginations work. Reading out loud or acting out scenes was optional for the children, as this was an opportunity to learn about the artistic process of theatre.
Joey and Jesse currently struggle with reading and have developed a form of anxiety when books are brought to their attention. They immediately ran away from the group once the performer introduced a storybook. The twins asked their CASAs if they could go outside and choose another activity, but CASAs Jingting and Katie both encouraged the boys to observe from a distance. The Red Ladder team invited kids to just sit and watch and underscored that they were not required to participate. This calmed the twins, and they ended up back at the children’s circle to watch for the remainder of the story. They left the event with a few books to take for their own collection, allowing them to engage with reading in the comfort of their own home.
Over the course of this partnership, Red Ladder has provided ongoing programming to more than 150 foster youth, like Joey and Jesse.
Helping children heal from the trauma they’ve endured is no small task. Providing these children with a CASA Volunteer, a trained community member who can offer a supportive relationship, is the first step. Providing youth and their assigned CASA with opportunities to engage in frequent positive childhood experiences is the second. Relationships and experiences matter.
Because of SVCREATES’ generosity, Red Ladder and Child Advocates have formed an indelible partnership — a partnership Child Advocates leans on as they work to LIFT UP every foster child they serve.
About Child Advocates of Silicon Valley
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley is an independent nonprofit 501(c)3 organization created in 1986. They serve children aged birth to 21-years-old who are placed in the Santa Clara County Dependency Court System for having experienced trauma in the form of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment. They are responsible for operating the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program in Santa Clara County, which entails recruiting, training and supporting CASA Volunteers according to the National CASA Association standards. To learn more, please visit ChildAdvocatesSV.org.
