Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is the only court-authorized advocacy program for children and youth in foster care in Burlington and Mercer Counties. We provide the following programs and services for children in the foster care system.

Child Advocacy
Children who are victims of abuse, neglect, and abandonment are assigned to professionally trained volunteers for advocacy in the Family Court system. CASA volunteers make recommendations to the court for critical community resources and services to improve a child’s stability and outcomes. Volunteers also ensure that each child is in a safe, nurturing, and permanent home as soon as possible. CASA volunteers are generally assigned to one case at a time, or to a specific child or sibling group. Once assigned to cases, the CASA volunteers are supervised by staff Advocate Supervisors throughout the life cycle of each case.

Volunteer Recruitment and Training
The process to become a CASA volunteer advocate includes recruitment, orientation sessions, interviews, background checks, 33 hours of combined online and classroom training, swearing-in ceremonies presided over by the Family Court Judges, and case assignment. The pre-service training curriculum includes the following topics: the role of the volunteer, the child welfare system, needs and development of children, trauma, mental health, poverty, professional communication, cultural competence, educational needs, and permanency. Additional In-Service training is provided for our volunteers throughout the year. 

Aging Out Seminar
CASA staff and volunteers, along with agency partners, offer a program that familiarizes youth with resources and services to establish them on a path toward a healthy, productive life.

Darkness to Light
Child sexual abuse is always a difficult topic to think about and learn about. However, to prevent abuse, we have to break through the stigma and shame and talk about how the sexual abuse of children happens. It’s the only way we will be able to stop what is arguably the number one health crisis that children face today.

Educational Advocacy
Nationally, only 50% of foster children graduate from high school by age 18, compared to 82% of typical children. College graduation rates are even lower, with only 3% of youth in foster care graduating with a college degree. All CASA volunteers are trained in the Educational Advocacy curriculum created by CASA of NJ, the Special Education and Child Advocacy Clinics at Rutgers School of Law, Advocates for Children of NJ, and NJ Department of Children and Families. Some CASA volunteers receive an additional appointment by the Court that provides them with the ability to be the educational decision makers and sign the child’s IEP. CASA volunteers serve as the link between many systems for foster youth. Advocates have the ability to maintain school stability for children who often lag behind their peers because they move homes and schools and lack continuity of schooling. A CASA advocate can interrupt this cycle of absenteeism that leads to failure by frequently speaking with teachers and school staff to understand the child’s educational needs.

Medical Advocacy
The primary goal of CASA Medical Advocacy is to assist with ensuring that children are receiving any and all healthcare needed to keep them in optimal health while they are in out-of-home placement. This includes regular well-care, dental care, and immunizations, as well as any other necessary healthcare services based on their unique, individual needs.

Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA)
The Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA) consists of a set of strategies that assist children in further developing their self-regulation and has been effective with children of all ages, especially those with behavioral challenges. It focuses on transforming the way children perceive themselves, their caregivers, and the world around them. The method increases the child’s self-esteem methodically, consistently, and effectively, and is seen as an important resource for children coping with a range of addiction, abuse, and abandonment issues.

Age Groups	Children Adolescents
Community Services	Community Community Service Volunteer Opportunities Family & Support Services Adoption / Foster Care Case Management Family Support Legal / Advocacy Advocacy (Legal) Seasonal Programs Back to School / Backpack Program
Health Services	Behavioral / Mental Health Family Conflict & Distress Teen Issues Crisis / Safety Child Abuse / Neglect
Areas Served	Burlington County Cumberland County Gloucester County Mercer County Salem County

Last Updated: 11/12/25