The Role of a CASA

In Essex County, New Jersey there are nearly 3,000 children who have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care because of abuse, neglect or abandonment. Their cases are brought to court before a Family Court Judge who sometimes has only a few minutes to make critical life-altering decisions about their future. Can they be safely reunited with their parents? Are there relatives or family friends who can care for them? Should they be placed for adoption? Making decisions about the lives of children and families is a heavy burden. A Family Court Judge needs accurate and up-to-date information to make the right decision for a foster child. That’s where Essex County CASA comes in!

Essex County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is an independent, court-authorized nonprofit organization that works through specially trained and supervised volunteers to promote the welfare of children in Essex County, New Jersey who have been removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect or abandonment. CASA serves as a foster child’s "voice in court” working to ensure that needed services and assistance are made available while helping to move the child towards a safe and permanent home.

CASA helps to provide information to Family Court Judges by using trained community volunteers to investigate the background of a foster care case and make recommendations to the Judge that will best help to move the child to a safe and permanent home as quickly as possible. Whether the plan is reunification with the parents, placement with relatives/kin or adoption, a CASA volunteer remains diligently focused on the child's need for permanent placement until the goal is accomplished. CASA volunteers come from all walks of life and all kinds of educational, ethnic and social backgrounds. Most work full time and no special prior experience is required. Objectivity and good communication skills are essential since a CASA volunteer must be able to work with a variety of people from child welfare professionals to birth parents. The amount of time spent working on a case varies depending on the stage of the proceedings. Each CASA volunteer is partnered with a Case Supervisor and together they work on a case. Volunteers and their Case Supervisors communicate regularly, sharing information and developing and determining the steps to take on the case. All investigative work and reports to the Court or authorized agencies are undertaken together. On average, CASAs devote 10 to 15 hours a month to a case. A demonstrated sense of responsibility and commitment is important for our volunteers. CASA volunteers are responsible adults, at least 21 years of age, who care deeply about the welfare of children and know that when they take on a case, they take on a child's future!

A written application, personal interview, three references, criminal background check, fingerprinting and 33 hours of in-class training is required to become a CASA volunteer. Training topics include: The Law, The Child Protection System and the Courts; Children and Family Systems; The Impact of Child Abuse and Neglect; Exploring Our Cultural Sensitivity; Communication/Interviewing Skills; Information Gathering and Report Writing. Training sessions are offered 4 to 5 times a year in a combination of Saturday and weekday evening classes. Following the completion of training, volunteers are sworn in by a Family Court judge. After completing the in-class training sessions, volunteers have the opportunity to accompany a Case Supervisor to Court to observe the court hearing process. Post-training, CASA volunteers are required to participate in 12 hours of additional training each year. CASA offers a graduate series of seminars and workshops that are offered continually so that Advocates can meet this requirement. For more information about becoming a CASA volunteer, contact Carol Costello at 973-648-2814 or by email at ccostello@casaessex.org.