The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program is designed to help monitor abused and neglected children in out-of-home placements. CASA fulfills this mission by the careful recruitment, training and supervision of community volunteers who are then assigned to a child in the foster care system. The primary objective of CASA is to represent to the court the best interests of the abused and neglected child to whom he or she has been assigned. The court gives CASA investigative authority to examine all aspects of a child's case and to explore all viable avenues to achieve a stable home environment for that child. CASA becomes the child's voice in court. Program volunteers are required to complete mandatory program-specific training prior to appointment and in-service training thereafter.
NOTE: The CASA program is managed by a separate, non-profit organization. If you are interested in finding out more about this program you can obtain the appropriate contact information from the CASA of New Jersey website.