Court Appointed Special Advocates of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren (CASA SHaW) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization committed to advocating for children living in foster care under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Family Court. CASA SHaW undertakes to recruit, screen, train, and supervise community volunteer advocates as they ensure that needed services are identified and assistance is made available to these children with the ultimate goal of moving them to safe, loving, and permanent homes. CASA SHaW is committed to enhancing their lives through community education and outreach and by providing them with holistic support services designed to help them navigate through the foster care experience with as little trauma and as much individualized attention as possible.
2013-2014 Highlights:
(Adapted from CASA SHaW’s June 2014 Newsletter)
Through generous donations and grants throughout the year (including a grant from The Astle-Alpaugh Family Foundation), the CASA program of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties was better enabled to:
- Provide 167 children in foster care in 2013 with advocates
- Ensure that no case was prematurely closed due to funding cuts
- Expand the Family Search and Connect Program, through which advocates search for the missing relatives and family friends of children who are aging out of foster care
- Train interns from the Rutgers University School of Social Work
- Strengthen its Child Protection Policy to align with current best practices
- Provide advocate training
- Partner with local organizations and corporations to provide seasonal celebrations for children under CASA’s wing
- Expand its presence on county-wide committees
….among other great accomplishments on behalf of these children (and those that care about them) in Central New Jersey.
