CASA Needs Volunteers to Advocate for Kids in Foster Care

Court Appointed Special Advocates - or CASA of Middlesex County - is seeking a few good volunteers from all around the county who are looking to contribute to the long term safety of foster care children.

CASA, located in New Brunswick, provides volunteers as court appointed advocates for children in foster care that are at risk of being abused or neglected. A CASA is a different form of child support volunteer, as they do not provide direct comfort to these children, and taking them out for ice cream, a movie, or giving them gifts is not permitted.

Rather, a CASA meets with children in foster care cases and provides testimony on behalf of them to judges in the courtroom. They make sure a child has what they need and is in a safe living situation. Their ultimate contribution is seeing that the child they are assisting ends up in a safe and secure home.

"This is not like raking leaves in your neighbor's backyard," said Patricia Teffenhart-Maikos, director of CASA of Middlesex County. "This is social justice."

The organization is part of a national network of CASA organizations of courts, Teffenhart-Maikos said.

Interested volunteers can get involved by going through the application process, which includes an interview and background check, and approved applicants are put through 30 hours of training.

"Once that 30 hours is over, it is really the beginning of your training," Teffenhart-Maikos said on Aug. 18, to a room of volunteers and potential volunteers.

When asked to describe their experiences as a CASA, established volunteers said that it was rewarding, sometimes frustrating, especially when dealing with other agencies, and often times difficult to establish a level of trust with the children they were assisting.

However, they agreed that some of their proudest moments came from dealing with the children who required their services.

"It is for the children and it's worthwhile and worth doing," said a volunteer named Mike, to the group.

Training for new CASA volunteers will begin on Sept. 7, and will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays through Sept. 21.

Training is held at the Middlesex County Fire Academy 1001 Fire Academy Drive, Sayreville.

For more information on getting involved with CASA of Middlesex County, visit their website at www.casaofmiddlesexcounty.org.