Child Outcomes & Volunteer Effectiveness (COVE) Project
Texas CASA launched a statewide study, referred to as the Child Outcomes and Volunteer Effectiveness (COVE) project, to better understand the important impact CASA volunteer advocates have on the children they serve.
For the project, Texas CASA has been working with local CASA programs and with Dr. Cynthia Osborne and the Child and Family Research Partnership (CFRP) at the University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs to design and implement an evaluation plan to determine the effectiveness of CASA in Texas and the ways in which CASA volunteers impact the outcomes of children in care.
The Evaluation Plan for the COVE project has now been finalized and is available for you to download. The plan is based on survey and data responses provided by the CASA network in Texas and Child Protective Services.
Although this is a complete version, we expect there to be adjustments and modifications as this project develops. Nevertheless, we believe we have a strong project and are pleased to be able to share it with all of you.
Texas CASA thanks Dr. Osborne, as well as Allison Dubin, Research Associate, and Alexis McLauchlan, Graduate Research Assistant, of the CFRP for all of their hard work and dedication to this project. Additionally, we would like to thank every one of the local CASA programs who participated and devoted time to interviews, multiple meetings, and document review throughout the development of the plan document. We would also like to recognize the executive directors and volunteers who participated in the CFRP surveys.
Thank you to our local CASA program project participants!
CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County
Ann McAlpin
Patti Sexton
CASA for Hunt County
Celeste Prather
Shiloh Whitaker
CASA of Cameron & Willacy Counties
Richard Alaniz
Dora Martinez
CASA of Ellis County
Rhodie Rawls
Rebecca Gentry
CASA of Hidalgo County
Diana Almaguer
CASA of the South Plains
Jennie Hill
Child Advocates of Fort Bend
Ruthanne Mefford
Metoyer Martin
Casey Davis
Child Advocates San Antonio
Rick Cooke
Yolanda Valenzuela
Dallas CASA
Kathleen LaValle
Ben Wilkins