Parents
What is C.A.S.T. for Kids?
The C.A.S.T. for Kids program provides one-day fishing and boating events to accommodate children with special needs (ages 6-18). Children and their caretakers come together with community volunteers for a fun day of fishing they may not otherwise experience. These events provide a refreshing break from their daily challenges. Spreading a positive message that kids with special needs can accomplish anything, we include all disabilities. This is all made possible through national and local sponsors – people who want to make a big difference in the lives of kids with special needs thus strengthening their community.
“My son’s autism and ADHD lead to a demand for success and constant rewarding engagement. I feel as though if I had tried to take him fishing on my own with my limited experience it would have resulted in frustration and ultimately a meltdown. By providing engaging and supportive instructors, C.A.S.T. guaranteed a safe and fun way for him to experience something special.”
– Parent of Participant, Navajo Lake, NM
What to expect at a C.A.S.T. for Kids event
C.A.S.T. for Kids events are all about celebrating children with special needs alongside you, their parent/guardian! On average, volunteers in your community spend 6 months planning this event to provide the best experience possible for your child to enjoy. This event is free for your child to attend because of the generosity of individuals and businesses in your local community and from across the country.
Prior to the event day, you must pre-register your child. In order to ensure a great experience, participation is limited. Registration generally opens 3 months prior to the event day. You will receive reminder communications about your event within 2 weeks of the event day.
Upon arrival at the event, we recommend the first stop being the restroom. We would not want your child to miss their big catch! Proceed to the registration area where you will check-in your child and all family members in attendance. Your child will be given a fishing pole, tackle box, and event t-shirt and hat.
The event coordinator will then pair you and your child with a volunteer for about 3 hours of fishing. Before you hit the water, we will take a photo of your child and their volunteer fishing buddy and fit your child with a life jacket.
We have two types of C.A.S.T. events – boating and shore events. The event webpage will inform you of the type of event. If your event is a boating event, we can only guarantee room for one parent/guardian per child. If the boat captain can accommodate more people on the boat, additional family members may also be able to go boating. Volunteer boaters will take you and your child out on the water for 2-3 hours. Our shore events can consist of fishing from the shoreline and/or a dock. A Shore Volunteer will spend the morning with you and your child to assist with fishing. Every child is required to have one parent/guardian accompany them for the entirety of event.
This day is for your child. Sometimes children lose interest in fishing and that is ok! They can take a break whenever they want and enjoy the scenery and extra activities. After fishing, we serve everyone lunch and host an awards ceremony.
We encourage everyone to stay for the awards. It is the highlight of the day! Each child is presented an awards plaque, and they have the opportunity to share their thoughts about their experience through their form of communication. Their fishing buddy also shares highlights from the morning. There is never a dry eye in the house!
Parent/Guardian Responsibilities
- Pre-register your child by completing the registration process.
- Accompany your child for the entire event.
- Make sure your child wears their life jacket while on the water or dock.
- Enjoy fishing with your child and connecting with other families during the event.
- Share your photos with us. Tag us on social media.
Impact Stories
How to Register
- Visit our ‘Find an Event’ page to find an event near your community.
- Registration generally opens 3 months prior to event date. Click ‘Child Participant Registration’ to register.
A few tips:
- Only register children with special needs in your household. Do not register siblings as participants.
- Registration is NOT complete until you click submit button.
- You will receive a copy of your registration as your confirmation email.
- To make an edit to your registration, email [email protected].
- You will receive event details within two weeks of event date.
“The best moment was when my child received a plaque at the awards ceremony. My son will probably never get an award for playing a sport. So now he has his very own award.”
– Parent of Participant, Folsom Lake
The C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation enriches the lives of children with special needs, supports their families, and strengthens communities through the sport of fishing.
