CASA of Southern Maryland

05/17/2025

Prom season is here, and MOMs WANNA HAVE FUN TOO! Join us for a great time while supporting a great cause! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mom-prom-tickets-1323575683499?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

04/02/2025

Why do we wear blue? It's more than a color; it's a symbol of our fight against child abuse. Hear from our community why they'll wear blue on April 4th. Share your story in the comments!

04/02/2025

04/02/2025

Class Participants must be 15+ years old, and live in Calvert County. This class is NOT for Healthcare Workers. Registrations will close once the class has reached capacity. To register, call 410-535-5400, x494, or fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdL4zmzQFXie8w4_lJtBSoV-PE_weK2Tpmt6ocHsNiSpQ1svg/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawJYFfBleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHTXvlTfyedjWZrVBDIPC-12mK1zKnkh0JfQrhfYpX7vxAAD9w2sigTvkcQ_aem_snnpU6ul96qOPfGtlbN00Q

04/02/2025

03/24/2025

Join for our annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 13 from 12:30-3 p.m. at Hallowing Point Park in Prince Frederick for a FREE family fun day! 🌟

Enjoy activities, delicious food trucks, cute photos with the Easter Bunny & egg hunts by age group!
🕐1 p.m. Ages 3 & Under
🕜1:30 p.m. Ages 4-5
🕑2 p.m. Ages 6-8
🕝2:30 p.m. Ages 9-19

✨ Bring your bag or basket to collect those eggs—egg hunts start ON TIME! Remember, only the little ones (3 & under) get parent help!

We can't wait to see all your smiling faces there! 💖

03/24/2025

💪 LGBTQ+ youth in foster care need advocates who understand them, and can amplify their voices.

This National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week, we're reminded that CASA volunteers make a tangible difference in ensuring youth receive appropriate healthcare. When LGBTQ+ youth have dedicated advocates, they're more likely to access necessary services and experience better health outcomes.

LEARN MORE about becoming a CASA Advocate Volunteer
www.marylandcasa.org

🏳️‍🌈

03/24/2025

02/07/2025

In our February newsletter, we celebrate Black History Month by highlighting four remarkable youth advocates who are reshaping the landscape of advocacy. Their efforts inspire many, proving that age is not a barrier to making a difference. We also congratulate Michele Carter on her swearing-in, acknowledge our volunteers’ birthdays, and remind everyone of the importance of logging training hours for CASA. Stay engaged with our upcoming events and training opportunities.

Email from DanieBJones   CASA of Southern Maryland Monthly Newsletter February 2025 Black History Month: Celebrating Youth Who Are Redefining Advocacy - Maryland CASA This Black History Month, we high

01/02/2025

Since difficulty paying attention is widely associated with ADHD, that tends to be the first thing teachers, parents, and clinicians suspect. But there are a number of other possibilities that can contribute to attention problems. To avoid misdiagnosis, it’s important that these other possibilities, which are not always obvious, not be overlooked.

Anxiety
A child with separation anxiety might be so preoccupied about something happening to their parent they are unable to concentrate on schoolwork. Some kids are so worried about embarrassing themselves, they might look down often and pretend to write to avoid being called on, but this can look like inattention.

When it takes a child an unusually long time to finish their work, they may be struggling with perfectionism, rather than daydreaming.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder
A child with OCD may compulsively line things up on their desk, count in their head, or continuously tap. To a teacher who’s not aware of OCD, distraction might look like ADHD.

Stress or trauma
Kids who’ve witnessed violence or other disturbing experiences may demonstrate difficulty paying attention and a persistent sense of insecurity called hypervigilance. Symptoms common in PTSD, such as difficulty concentrating, exaggerated startle response, and hypervigilance, can make it seem like a child is jumpy and spacy.

Learning disorders
Children with undiagnosed dyslexia might fidget with frustration or feel ashamed that they can’t seem to do what the other kids can do, and be intent on covering that fact up. If a child is struggling with math, they might welcome distractions. Auditory processing problems could cause a child to miss some of what the teacher is saying, even if they’re listening, and that could look as if they’re not paying attention.

Read the full article here:
https://childmind.org/article/not-all-attention-problems-are-adhd/

12/11/2024

Kids who know what bullying is can better identify it. They can talk about bullying if it happens to them or others. Kids need to know ways to safely stand up to bullying and how to get help.

Learn more: stopbullying.gov

12/11/2024

In last week’s newsletter, we shared the potential benefits of pretend play, which allows kids to practice social and problem-solving skills.

Read this newsletter and sign up to receive future newsletters here:
https://childmind.org/give/newsletters/