CASA of Lexington recognized as ‘innovator’ in LGBTQ inclusion by Human Rights Campaign
CASA of Lexington has been certified as an inclusive and affirming organization by All Children All Families.
ACAF, an initiative of the Human Rights Campaign, recognized the nonprofit as an innovator in the field of LGBTQ inclusion, the highest tier of recognition it awards.
“Inclusivity and respect for everyone are values deeply embedded in CASA of Lexington’s culture,” said Melynda Jamison, Executive Director of CASA of Lexington. “We are thrilled to be recognized for this as an innovative leader by All Children All Families. It shows how committed CASA of Lexington is to serving all children and their families with fairness, equity, kindness and support.”
The months-long process of certification involved CASA of Lexington staff reading through all policies concerning non-discrimination and proposing updates where needed, which the Board of Directors approved. CASA staff also completed many hours of training on LGBTQ inclusivity. And the organization implemented an ongoing training plan to ensure staff and volunteers will always be ready to serve any child without discrimination.
CASA of Lexington earned the “Innovator” tier of certification by building partnerships with local LGBTQ groups and implementing health coverage for domestic partners of CASA employees.
“It is absolutely essential that children are provided with a safe, loving environment and the heart-breaking reality is that many LGBTQ+ children in the foster care system are forced into isolating and uncertain circumstances,” said Ted Lewis, Human Rights Campaign’s Director of Youth & Family Programs. “Thank you to CASA of Lexington for being dedicated to making impactful change for the LGBTQ+ youth they serve. It is critical for organizations to demonstrate a growing commitment to intersectionality and ensuring policies and practices that do not reinforce the same systems of oppression that put youth and families at risk in the first place. By taking on these challenges, CASA of Lexington can be a model for youth-serving professionals everywhere.”
Through the certification process, ACAF staff also helped CASA of Lexington identify further improvements that could be made, which the organization is now working to implement.
“We did not complete this process just to earn the ‘Innovator’ seal. We had already done a lot of the work to build an inclusive and affirming culture before we knew about the ACAF initiative,” Jamison said. “We completed this process in order to identify areas where we could improve further — and that is what happened. We intend to continue this work and keep improving every year. The children we serve deserve nothing less.”