Wal-Mart Foundation Awards $1.6 Million to Support Teenage Foster Youth

July 21, 2009 — The Seattle-based National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association has announced a $1.6 million grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation to help address the challenges faced by older foster youth.

The grant enables National CASA to launch its Fostering Futures program, which is designed to engage some seventy thousand volunteers from CASA and the Guardian ad Litem program as advocates for and advisors to foster youth ages 13 to 21. In addition, the grant will enable the organizations to recruit, train, and retain volunteers to help youth develop specific transition plans, identify supportive adult connections, and thrive after they transition out of foster care.