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Concerned over making decisions about abused and neglected children's lives without sufficient information, a Seattle judge conceived the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of these children in court. So successful was this Seattle program that soon judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. In 1990, the U.S. Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA with passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act.
On January 16, 2010, the state of New Jersey became the 38th state to provide statutory authority for its Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program with N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-92. The new law provides CASA Volunteers with statutory authority to continue to advocate in court on behalf of a child’s best interest, enhances their ability to access needed information, and provides a level of security and accountability for the public.
Today more than 950 CASA programs are in operation, with 70,000 women and men serving as CASA volunteers. CASA is an acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocate. In New Jersey, there are over 900 CASA volunteers!
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties, Inc. (Vicinage XV) (CASA of CGS) opened its doors to Cumberland County on July 1, 2004. CASA of CGS was appointed to serve its first child on January 1, 2005. In a year’s time CASA of CGS was able to recruit 36 potential citizen volunteers; screen 30 applicants; train 22, after the approved screening had taken place; swear in 20 eligible volunteers to take a case; and finally assign 17 trained advocates to work toward the best interest of a child.
Since its founding, CASA of CGS has been able to provide community volunteers to advocate for the best interests of over 320 children in Cumberland and Gloucester Counties. Salem County is scheduled to open in September of 2010. In the past fiscal year, more than 75 CASA volunteers advocated in court for more than 200 children who were removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. Of that number, CASA has helped to find a permanent home for 45 children: 25 family reunifications, 17 adoptions and 3 kinship legal guardianships. Today CASA continues to provide 140 children with a voice in court. | 
