Former Foster Youth Justice LaRue to Be Keynote Speaker for CASA Event Oct. 23

SOMERS POINT – Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children of Atlantic and Cape May counties will welcome former foster youth, Justice LaRue, as the guest speaker at the Community Awareness Lunch beginning at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 23, at Greate Bay Country Club in Somers Point. 
According to a release, the lunch is free to attend, but a reservation is required. Those interested in attending should visit AtlanticCapeCASA.org or call (609) 601-7800.
LaRue spent her entire life in and out of foster care without a consistent and reliable adult presence to help guide her – until she was appointed a dedicated CASA volunteer. 
She has become a passionate advocate for foster youth, traveling around the country telling her story and speaking about the need for foster youth advocates. 
Unlike the other adults in her life, LaRue explains that her CASA was different because she was “always there and was truly invested in my success and wellbeing.” 
LaRue believes that her life would have gone differently if CASA were not involved.
“Just like the CASA volunteer who supported Justice, our CASA program has nearly 300 CASA volunteers who advocate for over 650 children and youth in Atlantic and Cape May Counties,” said CASA Executive Director Angie Waters.
“Our goal and mission have been the same since our founding,” stated Waters, who has led the organization since 2001, “to facilitate safe, permanent homes for children living in foster care as quickly as possible. I am proud to say that last fiscal year 298 CASA volunteers advocated for 681 children living in foster care in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. CASA volunteers also helped facilitate a permanent home for 273 children and youth last fiscal year. Since 2001, CASA volunteers have helped over 1,600 children and youth achieve a permanent home.
“In our society, the stewardship of a child’s rights rest with the family. Today, too many families are in crisis and too many children lose the stability and care they deserve. Unfortunately, the foster care system is severely overtaxed. In some courts, 10 to 20 cases of children in peril come before a single judge each day.
“Children may move to several different homes in the span of just a few years, many separated from siblings. With every move, these at-risk children lose friendships and fall behind in school. Some never achieve a permanent home.
“Sadly, they end up navigating the world with little education and few support systems. They often lack even the most basic life skills or even a sense of worth.
“The silver lining in this scenario is the CASA volunteer. That single individual is proven to create a better life for these at-risk children, just as Justice’s CASA did for her. With that volunteer comes the knowledge that they will fight for their child’s rights and needs until they are reunited with their family, adopted or under the care of the extended family.”