"One of the greatest diseases is to be a nobody to anybody." - Mother Theresa

 

According to the Administrative Office of the Courts, there were 7,761 children living in foster care in New Jersey as of December 2011. At any time in Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties there are approximately 400 children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by their families and removed from their homes. CASA's volunteer advocates work to ensure that these children are seen as individuals with wants, needs, and dreams.  They work to gather regularly information about the child's situation, talking to school personnel, foster parents, biological parents - anyone who has contact with that child - and most importantly the child himself. 

 

The advocate's findings are then communicated to the judge hearing the child's case along with recommendations made on the child's behalf.  This process of investigation, reporting, monitoring, and facilitating services is repeated until the child either reunifies with his family, is adopted, placed in a guardianship situation, or ages out of the system.  The CASA volunteer makes sure that child is somebody whose voice is heard throughout the time they are living in foster care.

 

In 2011 CASA volunteer advocates served 191 of these children and donated more than 6,000 hours of their time with the goal of helping to meet their needs while in foster care and move them to safe, loving, and permanent homes as quickly as possible, whether that is their home of origin, an adoptive home, or placement with a relative or family friend.