A new chapter of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is opening in Middlesex County. The organization is designed to help alleviate the plight of hundreds of children in the county who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect, and are awaiting placement through the Family Court system.
CASA of Middlesex County, which is one of 14 CASA programs in New Jersey and one of more than 800 CASA programs nationwide, formally elected a board of trustees at its March 8 meeting and officially established the chapter.
“We’re very excited to see the CASA program expand to Middlesex County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the state, and one that we believe will greatly benefit from our volunteer advocates,” said Rita Gulden, executive director of CASA of New Jersey. “There are so many of these children who are in out-of-home placement – some in foster care, others in group homes, many separated from their siblings. As the program grows in Middlesex County, more of these children will have someone who can advocate for their best interests and help ensure their safety and well-being.”
CASA uses trained volunteer advocates to provide in-depth information to the Family Court judge, who is entrusted with making decisions in the best interests of the children who have been removed from their homes. A CASA volunteer advocate, who must first be screened and undergo a rigorous 30-hour training program, learns everything possible about the child and then advocates for the best interests of the child in Family Court. Advocates make sure the child is receiving the appropriate services while they are in the system. CASA volunteers also work to ensure that the child ends up in a safe permanent home, either with his or her own family, with capable relatives, or with an adoptive family.
“As CASA of Middlesex County has now formed its first board of trustees, we’re also seeking start-up funding to fully develop this important program here in our community,” said Ruth Anne Beck, the board chairwoman of CASA of Middlesex County and a New Brunswick resident. “We will be recruiting our first executive director this spring, and will begin training a first class of volunteers this fall.”
For more information about CASA, including how to be considered for a volunteer position, e-mail the organization at [email protected] or visit www.casaofnj.org.