How We Help
CASA of Morris and Sussex Counties is the only court-appointed volunteer advocacy program dedicated to children and youth in foster care in Morris and Sussex Counties.
From providing a consistent advocate in the courtroom to helping a young person prepare for adulthood, our programs are designed to ensure children and teens have the support, resources, opportunities, and connections they need to thrive.
Child Advocacy
Every child deserves someone whose focus is entirely on them.
Our trained CASA volunteers are appointed to advocate for children and youth involved in the Family Court and child welfare systems. Volunteers get to know the child, visit regularly, communicate with the important people in their life, and gather information to help the court understand the child’s individual needs.
CASA volunteers advocate for services, resources, educational support, healthcare, stability, and other needs that can improve a child’s well-being and future. Most importantly, they make sure the child’s voice and best interests remain at the center of the decisions being made about their life.
Whenever possible, volunteers are assigned to one child, case, or sibling group, allowing them to build a meaningful connection and provide consistency throughout the life of the case. Every CASA volunteer is supported and supervised by a dedicated CASA Case Supervisor.
Recruiting and Training CASA Volunteers
Great advocates start with great training.
We recruit compassionate community members and prepare them with the knowledge, skills, and support they need to become effective advocates for children and youth in foster care.
The process includes orientation, interviews, background checks, comprehensive pre-service training, and an official swearing-in before the Family Court. Once assigned to a case, volunteers receive ongoing guidance from CASA staff as well as continuing education and training throughout the year.
Our volunteers come from all walks of life, but they share one thing in common: a commitment to showing up for a child who needs them.
Fostering Futures
Growing up comes with challenges. Preparing for adulthood while in foster care can bring even more.
Our Fostering Futures program provides additional support to older youth as they prepare for independence and life beyond the foster care system. Working alongside a trained CASA volunteer, young people build skills, identify goals, strengthen connections, and create a plan for their future.
The program focuses on three key areas:
Connecting: Building a lasting relationship with a trusted, positive adult who can provide encouragement, guidance, and consistency as a young person transitions into adulthood.
Mentoring: Helping youth recognize their strengths, identify areas where they need support, and develop practical skills for independent living—from education and employment to healthy relationships, financial responsibility, goal setting, and navigating community resources.
Coaching: Helping youth envision what is possible for their future and turn those possibilities into achievable goals. Together with their Fostering Futures CASA volunteer, youth develop individualized action plans, establish milestones, celebrate progress, and adjust their goals as they grow.
The goal isn't simply to prepare young people to leave foster care. It's to help them enter adulthood with confidence, connections, skills, and someone still in their corner.
Essential Items, Opportunities and Experiences
Sometimes advocacy means speaking up in court. Sometimes it means making sure a teenager has the right clothes for their first job interview.
Through unrestricted donations and generous in-kind support from our community, CASA helps provide children and youth with important items and experiences that may not otherwise be available through the foster care system.
That can mean a laptop or school supplies needed to succeed in the classroom, clothing for a job interview or prom, tutoring and college preparation, sports equipment, summer camp, music or dance lessons, and other opportunities that allow children to discover their interests and build confidence.
We believe children in foster care deserve more than having their basic needs met. They deserve opportunities to learn, explore, celebrate milestones, discover what they love, and simply experience the joy of being a kid.
