Frequently Asked Questions

A CASA volunteer is a regular everyday individual who is trained to work as an advocate for children in their local communities who have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. CASA volunteers are appointed by a family court judge to a child’s case in order to ensure that the child remains a priority in an overburdened child welfare system, and that the judge maintains an accurate understanding of the child and his/her case. CASAs get to know the child while also gathering information from the child’s family, teachers, doctors, therapists, caregivers, and anyone else involved in the child’s life. This is done in order to make independent and informed recommendations that help the judge decide what’s in the best interest of the child.

CASA has been best described as the "eyes and ears" of the court and often acts as the "arms and legs" of an overworked child protective system. From helping siblings find permanent homes together, to helping a child access needed services, to uncovering information that helps reunite a loving family, volunteer advocates make an incredible difference to the lives of abused and neglected children. As a system, CASA provides significant cost savings to the taxpayer by ensuring children are placed in the most appropriate home possible and as quickly as possible.

CASA volunteers are appointed by the Family Court Judge to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. The primary responsibilities of a CASA volunteer are to:

Gather Information: Review documents and records, interview the children, family members and professionals in their lives.

Court Reports: Provide written reports to the court in preparation for all court proceedings.

Attend Court: Advocate for the child’s best interests

“Be the Safety Net”: Seek cooperative solutions among individuals and organizations involved in the children’s lives.

Recommend Services: Ensure that the children are receiving appropriate services by keeping the parties involved informed of any needs currently not being addressed. Bring concerns about the child’s health, education, mental health, etc. to the court’s immediate attention.

Monitor Case Plans and Court Orders: Assist the Court by reporting any deviation from what the court has ordered for the life of the case.

Visit with the Child: maintain a consistent and regular visiting schedule with the child, minimum of once per month.

No. A CASA volunteer is assigned to a case after the child or children have already been removed from their home by DCP&P. CASA volunteers are not responsible for investigating whether a child should be removed or not. That part has already happened by the time a CASA volunteer is assigned.

Not unless you want to! As a rule, volunteers who live in Passaic County will only be assigned cases that are within the Passaic County court, and volunteers who live in Union County will only be assigned cases that are within the Union County court. That said, if you live in Passaic County and want to take a case in Union County, or vice versa, that’s totally fine.

Yes! There are no problems with a volunteer living outside of Passaic or Union County and wanting to volunteer with us (in fact, approximately 30% of our volunteers live outside of Passaic and Union Counties!)

Be aware though, that all of our cases are either in Passaic or Union County, so you would need to be able to travel reliably to one of those locations, and all of our training and meetings currently take place in Passaic County and Union County.

Anyone who meets the following criteria is eligible to train as a CASA volunteer:

• Must be at least 21 years old

• Must have lived in the US for 5 years

• Must have the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to prepare court reports and communicate with professionals.

• Make a 24-month commitment

• Willing to donate 10 - 15 hours of service per month

• Complete a 36-hour pre-service training course

• Pass a background check, including criminal, child abuse registry, sexual offender registry, and references.

• Must possess mature judgment, high degree of responsibility, and sufficient time to serve the best interest of the child.

• Must be able to relate to persons of different cultures, ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses.

Final selection is at the discretion of the CASA program.

CASA serves children from birth to age 18 (and sometimes after 18 if they decide to stay in the foster care system, which they have the option to do until they’re 21). Our goal is for every child in foster care to have a CASA volunteer.

There is no typical CASA volunteer! People of all ages, races, genders, and professions make excellent CASA volunteers. Currently we have more than 200 active volunteers. Some work full-time jobs, some are retired, some are stay-at-home parents, some have children and grandchildren, others do not. The only thing they all share is a commitment to improving children's lives, a willingness to learn, and open minds about working with people different from themselves.

We estimate that most CASA volunteers spend approximately 15 hours a month on a case, and that the average case length is 24 months. These numbers are rough estimates, however, as every case is different and time commitments can depend on the complexity of the case and what is currently going on.

Becoming a CASA volunteer is definitely a time commitment, but the scheduling of volunteer activities is mostly flexible and can be done when works best for the volunteer, the child, and the other parties involved. The primary exception to this flexibility is appearing in court, which happens approximately every three months. CASA volunteers are expected to appear in court for their child’s hearings and are usually given the date and time three months prior, allowing for time to request off of work, arrange for childcare, or take any other steps necessary to attend. Also, CASA volunteers will need to be able to meet with their volunteer Case Supervisor during daytime hours, as well as their Division of Child Protection and Permanency caseworker.

In short, there is a LOT of support. Being a CASA volunteer is a big role, and it needs support.

1. Every CASA volunteer undertakes comprehensive training

2. We give you a large binder that has everything from training in it, that is yours to keep and refer back to

3. And lastly, and most importantly, every CASA volunteer has an Advocacy Supervisor.

What is an Advocacy Supervisor?

CASA volunteers are assigned an Advocacy Supervisor, who functions as their go-to source of support and guidance throughout their case.

Advocacy Supervisors are experienced child welfare professionals who are knowledgeable about the situations and concerns a volunteer may encounter while serving as a CASA volunteer.

When a CASA volunteer is first assigned a case, the first thing they do is meet with their Advocacy Supervisor, who takes them through all of the details of the case, and gives the volunteer a primer on the first steps they should take.

Advocacy Supervisors read every note that volunteers make in our case record database, so that they are constantly up-to-speed with the details of the case.

Advocacy Supervisors read every court report that volunteers write, and edit accordingly so that court reports are ready to be submitted to court.

Advocacy Supervisors also attend court with CASA volunteers, so volunteers are never alone in court - they have their Supervisor with them.

Our CASA organization has been in operation since 2007, and we have had zero reported safety issues for our volunteers. Volunteers are expected to take commonsense precautions when going into unfamiliar neighborhoods, and remain aware of their surroundings. The safety of our volunteers is a top priority and Case Supervisors are there to help volunteers navigate all safety concerns specific to their individual cases.

CASA volunteers begin by getting to know the child and the important people in that child’s life, including parents, teachers, therapists, doctors, and family members. The CASA volunteer has access to their child’s medical, educational, and legal files and is expected to scrutinize the facts surrounding the child’s placement. The CASA volunteer remains knowledgeable about that child by seeing him/her in-person at least once per month.

This is not an investigation into the abuse or neglect that the child may have experienced. Investigators with the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) drive that investigation. A CASA volunteer is solely responsible for assessing and advocating for the child’s best interest until they are placed in a permanent home.

You will learn about topics like: Trauma, Mental Health, Poverty, Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, Educational Advocacy, the Court Process, Communications Skills and more.

CASA training is a 36-hour course designed to produce qualified, educated advocates. It is deliberately structured to give new volunteers maximum exposure to the issues and experiences they can expect to encounter while on a case.

CASA volunteers all start with one case, which could be a single child or a sibling group. Experienced volunteers who wish to take on additional cases with additional children are welcome to do so with their supervisor’s approval.

A volunteer must be at least 21 years of age, a United States citizen, and have lived in the United States for the past five years. Volunteers must also be able to pass extensive background checks. For the safety of the children we serve, we require volunteers to pass child abuse, sex offender, and criminal background checks. Prospective volunteers are also required to complete an application, attend a pre-training interview, and participate in 36 hours of CASA training. Throughout the year, a CASA volunteer must complete 12 hours of in-service training.

Volunteers should have effective oral and written communication skills, be comfortable with computer technology including email and word processing, and have access to their own transportation.

Volunteers are expected to travel to see their child, attend relevant meetings, and attend court hearings. Costs involved include gas, tolls, and parking, which CASA does not reimburse for. CASA volunteers may also choose to meet with their child in a public location like a restaurant or café, which may necessitate additional expense. CASAs are not permitted to buy gifts for their child, although we are happy to provide birthday and holiday gifts from CASA.

When it is safe and in a child's best interest to do so, a CASA's primary goal on a case is to help children reunify with their families. This means that it is important to get to know and work with a child's biological parents, as well as their extended family.

Once a case is over and children have safely reached permanency, it is up to the child, the child’s caregivers, and the CASA volunteer if they wish to remain in touch in an informal capacity.