CASA Program Provides Advocates for Children in Need

A new branch of the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program, (CASA) is currently being established in Monmouth County, NJ. CASA of Monmouth County will be a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization committed to advocating for children in Monmouth County who are abused and neglected and involved in the Juvenile Court. Monmouth County currently has over 700 abused and neglected children in out of home placement. CASA volunteers watch over and advocate for these abused and neglected children to make sure they dont get lost in the overburdened legal system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home. They stay with each case until it is closed, and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence - the one adult who cares only for them.

A CASA volunteer is a trained citizen who is appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in court. A CASA volunteer provides a judge with carefully researched background of the child to help the court make a sound decision about that child's future. The CASA volunteer must determine if it is in a child's best interest to stay with his or her parents or guardians, be placed in foster care, be placed with other relatives, or be freed for permanent adoption. To prepare a recommendation, the CASA volunteer talks with the child, parents, family members, social workers, school officials, health providers and others who are knowledgeable about the child's history. The CASA volunteer also reviews all records pertaining to the child -- school, medical and case worker reports; and other documents.

What is the history of CASA ? Concerned over making decisions about abused and neglected children's lives without sufficient information, a Seattle judge conceived the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of these children in court. So successful was this Seattle program that soon judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. In 1990, the U.S. Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA with passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act. Today more than 900 CASA programs are in operation, with 70,000 women and men serving as CASA volunteers.

How effective is the CASA program? Research suggests that children who have been assigned CASA volunteers tend to spend less time in court and have less time within the foster care system than those who do not have CASA volunteers. Judges have also observed that CASA children have a better chance of finding permanent homes than non-CASA children

How do you become a CASA volunteer? If you are interested in becoming a CASA volunteer, please call Cindi Van Brunt at 732-804-6920. We want to help every Monmouth County child who needs our services. If you cant spare the time, there are other ways to help your local CASA program and the kids it serves. Offer free services such as graphic design, printing, and fundraising. Spread the word or simply write a check. We can help these children only through the generosity of donations from people like you. Your tax deductible gift can help turn a life of hurt into a life of hope.

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