Foster Children Need Court Advocates; Will You Volunteer?

Dealing with the court system can be intimidating for an adult. For a child caught up in the court-governed foster care system, it can be overwhelming.

But there are adults whose guidance and care for these children can make all the difference.

They are the court-appointed special advocates, volunteers whose sole -- and crucial -- role is to speak up for the best interests of the children.

In Ocean County more than 750 children are in foster care; most have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. Court Appointed Special Advocates of Ocean County -- CASA -- is a nonprofit organization that recruits and trains community volunteers, who are appointed by judges to be independent fact-finders and to speak up for the best interests of the children navigating the complex court system.

CASA volunteers meet with the child’s family members, doctors, teachers, and foster parents, and ensures that the judge in the family court system is aware of all the facts to make the best determination for the child’s future.

Currently CASA is serving 168 children. Hundreds of additional volunteers are urgently needed to be matched with children now on a waiting list to receive help.

An information session is set for Wednesday, Dec. 9 at Teresa’s Osaka Restaurant, 1801 Route 37 East, Toms River. It begins at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

New volunteers receive extensive training. The next set of Advocate Training Classes will be held from Jan. 11 to Feb. 14. Most of the training during the five-week course may be done on line.

For more information, contact CASA of Ocean County at 732-797-0590.

For more information, visit casaofoceancounty.org.

(Together, by Spirit-Fire, via Flickr under Creative Commons license)