Somerset /Hunterdon /Warren Vicinage
Assignment Judge:Yolanda Ciccone
20 North Bridge Street
P.O. Box 3000
Somerville, NJ 08876-1262
908-231-7191
| Somerset Courthouse | Hunterdon Courthouse | Warren Courthouse |
| 20 North Bridge Street Somerville, NJ 08876-1262 (908)231-7191 |
65 Park Avenue Flemington, NJ 08822 |
413 2nd Street, P.O. Box 900 Belvidere, NJ 07823 (908)475-6161 |
| Enter your address(street, city state) | Enter your address(street, city state) | Enter your address(street, city state) |
At any time in Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties there are approximately 400 children living in foster care and children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by their families. These children, each of whom is under the supervision of the New Jersey Department of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), are at the center of court cases that are ultimately decided by a judge.
The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA program is designed to help monitor abused and neglected children in out-of-home placements. CASA fulfills this mission by the careful recruitment, training and supervision of community volunteers who are then assigned to a child in the foster care system. The primary objective of CASA is to represent to the court the best interests of the abused and neglected child to whom he or she has been assigned.
The court gives CASA investigative authority to examine all aspects of a child's case and to explore all viable avenues to achieve a stable home environment for that child. CASA becomes the child's voice in court. Program volunteers are required to complete mandatory program-specific training prior to appointment and in-service training thereafter.
CASA volunteers communicate with the court, DYFS, caseworkers, parents and children, therapists, attorneys, teachers and others.
To request the appointment of a CASA, contact your attorney. For information about becoming a CASA, call (908) 689-5515, e-mail info@casashaw.org or visit http://www.casashaw.org.