Remembering Charles “Chip” Giamo
Our dear friend and Advocate, Charles "Chip" GiamoI still remember the first time I met Chip. He was so genuinely down to earth and charming, so comfortable with everyone he met, that I wondered how I could ever measure up as a CASA Advocate. People immediately...
The price of gas and child welfare
What does the price of gas have to do with child welfare? More than we might think. A study by McLaughlin (2017) found that for every $1 increase in the price of gas in a state with 100,000 children, there are an estimated 642 additional child maltreatment referrals....
When There Is Nowhere to Go
I read a recent NJ.com article about foster youth in New Jersey sleeping in motels and office buildings because there are not enough placements available. It is devastating. And for those of us who work alongside these children, it feels painfully familiar. The people...
When Advocacy Becomes Family
Some stories stay with you long after the courtroom empties. This is one of them. Bergen County recently witnessed the official beginning of something extraordinary: six brothers, ranging from 6 to 16 years old, becoming a forever family. Six boys. Six personalities....
The seams in our socks
Today, the seams in my socks hurt. They have never bothered me before. Not once. But today, every time I walk from my desk to the kitchen and back again, I feel them — a small ridge pressing against my toes. Such a tiny thing. And yet I cannot stop thinking about it....
This is Why CASA Matters
CASA work is messy. It’s unpredictable. It doesn’t come with a neat, tidy formula. But it is deeply human. Every day, our Advocates show up for children—meeting them where they are, adapting, learning, and becoming exactly what each child needs. That’s why CASA is so...
So, What Does CASA Stand For?
When I first heard about CASA, I thought, “Okay, another acronym… but what does it actually mean?” CASA stands for Court-Appointed Special Advocates. Sounds pretty official, right? But here’s the part that really matters: CASA volunteers are trained community members...
What does a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) do?
One of the questions I get asked most often is: “So, what exactly does a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) do?” And, to be totally honest, I’m still figuring out the best way to answer it. Not because the role is confusing—far from it—but because CASA work is...
CASA Has No Formula—And That’s the Point!
Unlike many parts of the child welfare system, CASA doesn’t follow a strict set of policies that dictate how we advocate in every case. In fact, we don’t have a step-by-step formula to follow. Each family, each child, is approached as unique, and that flexibility is...
A Story That Stayed With Me
Not long ago, one of our Advocates met two eight-year-old boys living in foster care. It was her first time seeing them, and when she came back, she told me something that stopped me in my tracks. The boys told her, very matter-of-factly, that they didn’t want to go...
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