Foster Children Abound, CASA Volunteers Work as Court’s Eyes

CREST HAVEN – Maybe one of them was your child, there were 150 from Cape May County last year in foster care.
In the Cape May-Atlantic county area there are upward of 800 children, birth to age 21, in foster care. Last year, 350 of those children were served by volunteers working with CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates.
As such, those CASA volunteers are appointed by Family Court to intervene on behalf of those foster children. They are granted authority to inspect the child’s various records, school, and medical, anything that does not violate privacy between physician or therapist and individual.
At the April 9 freeholder meeting, Julie Bellezza, CASA recruitment coordinator, briefed the board on what the agency did for Cape May County children in 2012. She said there are 170 active volunteers who have received 30 hours of training before being assigned a child.
Those persons are “friends of the court” appointed by a Family Court judge to stand up for the child.
Another reason Bellezza attended the meeting was to accept a framed resolution attesting to the declaration of April as “Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month in Cape May County.” The governing body recognized CASA for its work, and also designated April 12 as “Child Advocacy Day” throughout the state. On that date, all were encouraged to wear a blue ribbon to show support for abused and neglected children who are in foster care.
CASA’s long-term goal, said Bellezza is to provide a volunteer for each of those 800 children in foster care in the two-county region. Such volunteers “come from a variety of professional, educational and ethnic backgrounds and act as advocates for children who are victims of abuse and or neglect in the complicated, unfamiliar and often intimidating court and child welfare systems,” according to a county release.
CASA volunteers “serve as the court’s eyes and ears in a child’s life, thus helping to improve the quality of information presented to the court and child welfare system,” the release continued.
Bellezza told freeholders that last year, 114 children were helped by being placed in “permanent, safe homes.”
Removal from a child’s home may be due to different types of abuse, including physical, sexual, or drug related.
“It is happening in every town,” said Bellezza. “In Cape May County, the highest incidents are in Wildwood, Del Haven and Ocean City. It may be in your neighborhood,” she added.
As of December 2012, Cape May County Family Court handled 228 cases of children placed outside their home within the county. Of those children, 150 are being served by CASA volunteers. “There are almost 100 more we are unable to serve. I am here recruiting volunteers to help those children in foster care,” she added.
Among facts she presented was that children who have a CASA volunteer as an advocate spend less time in foster care, and are better able to transition and function in society. Those with CASA volunteers “have proven to do better” and are bettered behaved in school.
Asked by Freeholder Will Morey how the county’s statistics compared to other counties, Bellezza replied “We try to serve them (counties) equally. In Atlantic County there are more, because it has a higher population.”
Freeholder Marie Hayes, who retired from the County Prosecutor’s Office, and whose case specialty was child abuse, said, “I can’t tell you how much I appreciated the volunteers. When the children were going through what they were going through, it was important to have someone looking out for them. There are so many other issues to be looked after. I thank you and your volunteers.”
“The job you do is invaluable protecting these children at risk,” said Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton to Bellezza. At the time, he oversaw county Health and Human Services and added, “I can think of 20 cases, very serious cases over the years that, because of your organization, those children were protected. Well done,” Thornton said.
Qualifications to be a CASA volunteer are minimal: be age 21 or over and have a desire to assist a child in foster care. The agency provides 30 hours of training (the next class begins April 29 in Somers Point.)
Beyond that, there is a 12-18 month commitment of time to be on a child’s case. During that span, Bellezza said the average amount of time spent by the volunteer on the case may be from five to 10 hours a month.
“There is no cost involved to the volunteer,” said Bellezza. “We are the extra set of eyes that are needed,” she added. A case may involve one child or a set of siblings.
“We have promised to match a CASA volunteer with every waiting child by 2020. To do that, we need your help,” states the agency’s website.
Training is done in CASA’s Somers Point office, 321 Shore Road.
The organization states on its website that the cost of recruiting, training and supervising a volunteer for one year for one child is $1,500.
“Like many other organizations, CASA has seen a decrease in state and federal funding,” it states.
“In the last couple of years and rely on the continued generosity of our community partners, and individuals to maintain and grow services to children living in foster care. Each year over 50 percent of CASA’s budget comes from unrestricted funds, that is, money in addition to state and federal grants.
“Over 90 percent of all monies raised go directly to programs that serve abused and neglected children.”
CASA is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501 c (3) of the IRS Code. Gifts are tax deductible. The organization’s most recent 990 Form is available for examination or more may be learned about CASA on Guidestar.