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8 people are interested
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer
ORGANIZATION: CASA of Union County, Inc.
Please visit the new page to apply.
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8 people are interested
Are you interested in helping a child have a voice?
In becoming a CASA volunteer you will become the voice for a child in a court proceeding, which often overlooks the wants, needs and desires of the child.
We are an independent, non-profit organization committed to advocating for the best interest of children who have been removed from their homes due to neglect or abuse and placed in foster care. CASA of Union County was established in 2005, and has since been recruiting, training, supervising and supporting community volunteers to advocate for abused, neglected, and abandoned children placed in foster homes or residential facilities. Since its inception, CASA of Union County has trained more than 450 volunteers and advocated for more than 700 children placed in foster care through no fault of their own. We have two advocacy programs at CASA: being an advocate for a child between the ages of birth to 13 and being an advocate/mentor for an adolescent ages 14 to 21. The advocate/mentor is a different relationship with the youth to help foster positive adult relationships as well as prepare the youth for adulthood and being the youth’s voice in court.
CASA of Union County is currently recruiting for a new class of volunteer advocates. These volunteers will receive intensive training to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate their way through the court and child welfare systems. They will learn how to advocate for the best interest of children and make sure that the children receive the services and assistance necessary to ensure that they move as quickly as possible toward safe and permanent homes.
Please note: No legal or social service experience is required, but you must be 21 years of age. The CASA training is approximately thirty hours, and the volunteer is required to make an eighteen month commitment. By law, volunteers must have a full criminal background check and fingerprint check, as well as a screening interview before beginning training.
We are especially in need of bilingual - particularly Spanish-speaking - volunteers.
Information about upcoming information sessions and the training schedule are available on our website: www.casaofunioncounty.org
If you would like more information about how to join a future class of volunteer advocates please contact Lucia Field at lfield@casaofunioncounty.org
More opportunities with CASA of Union County, Inc.
No additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
About CASA of Union County, Inc.
Location:
Albender Building, 1143-45 East Jersey St 2nd Floor, Elizabeth, NJ 07201, US
Mission Statement
The mission of CASA is to recruit, screen and train community volunteers to advocate for the best interest of foster care youth in Family Court. We promote and support quality volunteer representation for children to provide each child a safe, permanent, nurturing home.
Description
Every year more than half a million abused and neglected children are in need of safe, permanent, nurturing homes. That's where CASA steps in. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) was created in 1977 to make sure the abuse and neglect these children originally suffered at home doesn't continue as abuse and neglect at the hands of the system. As trained advocates, CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to be a voice for these children in court. The result is that a child is placed into a safe, loving home where he/she can thrive. It is the CASA vision to provide a volunteer for each and every abused and neglected child who needs one.
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
1143-1145 East Jersey Street2nd FloorElizabeth, NJ 07201
DATE POSTED
June 28, 2021
SKILLS
- Advocacy
- Child Advocacy
- Verbal / Written Communication
GOOD FOR
N/A
REQUIREMENTS
- Driver's License Needed
- Background Check
- Must be at least 21
- Orientation or Training
- Minimum commitment of 18 months
- Favorable references