SOMERS POINT – For four years, Anne McKenna, of Cape May, has volunteered for CASA for Children of Atlantic and Cape May Counties and has advocated for four children living in foster care.
During that time she has helped three of the children find safe, loving and permanent homes.
“I volunteer with CASA because it is the best fit for me and I can make a difference in a child’s life,” said McKenna.
The reward of being a CASA volunteer is found on the faces of the children McKenna visits, she said.
“When I visit and the children recognize me, they run to me for hugs and say ‘Hello Ms. Anne,” said McKenna. “They are too young to understand what I do, but they know I am on their side. They know I am there for them and that is extremely rewarding. Being a CASA volunteer is really simple as long as you are willing to be patient.
“A lot of cases can go on for years and that is what CASA is there for, to never loose patience and to keep at it. Keep listening to the stories of these children and helping them through this difficult time in their lives.”
CASA volunteers are assigned to a child living in foster care by the family court system. They ensure that each child receives the services they need while in foster care, making recommendations to the family court regarding the child’s overall physical and psychological well-being.
“A child with a CASA volunteer is half as likely to languish in foster care and that much more likely to find a safe, permanent home,” said CASA for Children’s Executive Director Angie Waters. “It is because of volunteers like Anne that CASA now serves nearly 320 children who live in foster care in Atlantic and Cape May Counties.”
McKenna is just one of the 171 CASA volunteers in Atlantic and Cape May Counties – but even with those resources, more volunteers are needed, especially in Cape May County, to serve all of the 700 children who live in foster care annually in the two-county region.
Individuals interested in becoming a CASA volunteer must first apply, go through an interview process and a background check then participate in a three-week training session. The training is designed to teach volunteers how to work with abused and neglected children, to understand the basic laws surrounding child welfare and to learn the importance of being an impartial observer and the eyes and ears of the family court.
Training sessions are held three times during the year with the next session beginning Feb. 6. Interested individuals should call CASA for Children at 601-7800 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to start the process of becoming a CASA volunteer.
SOMERS POINT – For four years, Anne McKenna, of Cape May, has volunteered for CASA for Children of Atlantic and Cape May Counties and has advocated for four children living in foster care.
During that time she has helped three of the children find safe, loving and permanent homes.
“I volunteer with CASA because it is the best fit for me and I can make a difference in a child’s life,” said McKenna.
The reward of being a CASA volunteer is found on the faces of the children McKenna visits, she said.
“When I visit and the children recognize me, they run to me for hugs and say ‘Hello Ms. Anne,” said McKenna. “They are too young to understand what I do, but they know I am on their side. They know I am there for them and that is extremely rewarding. Being a CASA volunteer is really simple as long as you are willing to be patient.
“A lot of cases can go on for years and that is what CASA is there for, to never loose patience and to keep at it. Keep listening to the stories of these children and helping them through this difficult time in their lives.”
CASA volunteers are assigned to a child living in foster care by the family court system. They ensure that each child receives the services they need while in foster care, making recommendations to the family court regarding the child’s overall physical and psychological well-being.
“A child with a CASA volunteer is half as likely to languish in foster care and that much more likely to find a safe, permanent home,” said CASA for Children’s Executive Director Angie Waters. “It is because of volunteers like Anne that CASA now serves nearly 320 children who live in foster care in Atlantic and Cape May Counties.”
McKenna is just one of the 171 CASA volunteers in Atlantic and Cape May Counties – but even with those resources, more volunteers are needed, especially in Cape May County, to serve all of the 700 children who live in foster care annually in the two-county region.
Individuals interested in becoming a CASA volunteer must first apply, go through an interview process and a background check then participate in a three-week training session. The training is designed to teach volunteers how to work with abused and neglected children, to understand the basic laws surrounding child welfare and to learn the importance of being an impartial observer and the eyes and ears of the family court.
Training sessions are held three times during the year with the next session beginning Feb. 6. Interested individuals should call CASA for Children at 601-7800 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to start the process of becoming a CASA volunteer.
