[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7013]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES OF MORRIS AND 
                            SUSSEX COUNTIES

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 16, 2012

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Court 
Appointed Special Advocates for Children of Morris and Sussex Counties 
as they celebrate their 25th anniversary.
  Court Appointed Special Advocates, CASA, was created in 1977 to 
address the issue of abused and neglected children within the court 
system. The founder, David Soukup, a Seattle Superior Court Judge, 
raised concerns over making decisions on behalf of abused and neglected 
children without enough information. To gain more knowledge he called 
for volunteers to investigate the cases, make recommendations and speak 
on behalf of the child about what would be in his or her best interest.
  It quickly became clear that CASA volunteers provided the abused or 
neglected children a constant adult presence that supported them by 
advocating for their needs within the court system. According to the 
CASA mission statement, CASA's intent is to ``speak up for the best 
interests of children who have been removed from their homes due to 
abuse and neglect. We recruit, train, and supervise community 
volunteers who provide a voice in court to assure each child a safe, 
permanent, and nurturing home.''
  CASA of Morris County began in 1987 by the National Council of Jewish 
Women and later merged with the Sussex County chapter in 1996. In the 
last fiscal year the CASA of Morris and Sussex Counties served 354 
children helping 108 reach permanency, which includes reunification 
with birth parents, adoption, kinship legal adoption, or independent 
living. Out of the 15 CASA chapters in New Jersey, the Morris and 
Sussex Counties chapter serves the largest percentage of children in 
out-of-home placement.
  For 25 years, the CASA of Morris and Sussex Counties has kept 
children from falling through the cracks of the court system and helped 
them gain a stable family structure. In the past year, CASA lists among 
their accomplishments helping four siblings reunite with their parents 
in a safe environment with two of the siblings attending summer camp on 
scholarships, a four-year-old child who spent the first three years of 
her life in five different foster homes was able to be adopted into a 
loving family, and an abandoned 16-year-old was able to find a part-
time job, educational assistance, and a path to independent living.
  CASA of Morris and Sussex Counties is proud that their 25 years of 
work has always focused on the tenet of ``every child can thrive in the 
safe embrace of a loving family.'' CASA has been able to provide the 
opportunity for abused and neglected children of Northern New Jersey to 
overcome their circumstance and mature into successful and caring 
adults.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in recognizing 
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Morris and Sussex Counties on 
their 25th anniversary.

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