CASA for Children of Essex County

Annual Report

912

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017

Sean and Carl’s mother was incarcerated, and when released, she found herself unable to provide stable housing for her children. Sean and Carl bounced between several homes during their five years in foster care, and CASA stayed involved, going the extra mile to create a sense of stability by successfully keeping the children in the same school even when they changed foster homes.

It was not clear if the boys would ever be reunified with their mother. The uncertainty was particularly hard on Sean, the older brother, who went into emotional crisis. CASA advocated successfully for the therapeutic resources that he needed.

Eventually, Sean and Carl were reunified with their mom, and CASA worked to ensure that the family had access to all the resources needed to provide a healthy home, even obtaining a dining room table for family meals.

CASA for Children of Essex County

Mitch Decter Julie Micou Cerf

Dear Friends,

Our goal at CASA for Children of Essex County is to provide dedicated, well-trained citizen volunteers who commit themselves to advocacy on behalf of children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. As the eyes and ears of the court, our advocates visit foster homes, residential placements and school settings, get to know the adults that are charged by the state with caring for the child, and make recommendations to the court about services or treatment that would give the child an opportunity to thrive while progressing toward a safe and permanent home. We serve children from birth to age 21. Many of the cases are complex and involve children with multiple needs, whether they have disabilities, trauma or educational challenges. Our advocates come from all walks of life, but they share a fierce commitment to making a difference in the life of a child. The story of “Sean and Carl”, told briefly in this report, is one of many that prove this is true.

During the 2017 fiscal year, 254 CASA advocates worked on behalf of 591 Essex County children in court. This annual report provides some key statistics that give a picture of our work as well as a summary of our financial position and a list of our supporters.

We want to thank you so much for your continued support of CASA. Your generosity means that we can continue as a vital presence in service to Essex County’s most vulnerable children.

Most sincerely,

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Erica Barrett Community Volunteer

Gary Beyer Deutsche Bank

Itewari Bryan NYU SPS Center for Academic

Excellence and Support

Debra Caplan Community Volunteer

Mitchell Decter, PresidentFerro Labella & Zucker LLC

LaShãda DiCosmo Fabernovel US

Jennifer Dressler Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Sybil Eng, SecretaryCommunity Volunteer

Elyse Kremins Community Volunteer

Debra Neier, TreasurerNJ State Policemen's Benevolent

Association, Inc.

Ann Pollack Nationwide Floor & Window Coverings

Christopher Pringle The Grey Charter School

Jill Rosenthal Community Volunteer

Edward Schwarz Montrose Realty

Rachel Simon The Philanthropy Workshop

Michael Slater Community Volunteer

Valerie Wilde Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Darren Woolford Bloomberg L.P.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Essex CASA served 55% of the 1,065 children in foster care in Essex County

111 CASA youth ages 14 and over received a specially trained Fostering Futures Mentor-Advocate to help prepare them for independent life after foster care

4 5 CASA children come from African American families living in the urban centers of Newark, East Orange, or Irvington o

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The mission of CASA for Children of Essex County is to promote the welfare of children who have been

removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect or abandonment by providing a safety net of

support, advocacy and mentorship. CASA trains and supervises volunteers to speak up for the best

interests of these children in court, to ensure that each child has the opportunity to thrive by receiving

needed services and assistance while helping to move the child towards a safe and permanent home.

h, at the Ruby Red Sho

supported

254 volunteer Advocates

serving

591 children

10 Case Supervisors

82% of cases involving children aged 0 to 13 achieved permanency through reunification with their birth family or adoption into a “forever home”

20 THOUSAND hours of service visiting children, appearing in court, attending school meetings, and much more

CASA Advocates donated over

9 10 CASA children ages 0 to 3 were evaluated for vital early intervention services or programs to foster healthy early childhood development o

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CASA FY17 Annual Report IL.pdf 1 6/14/18 4:03 PM

FINANCIAL REPORT Total Operating Revenue & Investment Income = $2,349,162

Total Operating Expenses = $1,968,848

Detail of Public Support Totaling $1,572,110

Statement of Financial Position Net Assets, beginning of year = $1,074,641

Change in Net Assets = $380,314

Total Net Assets, end of year = $1,454,955

Program Services

81%

Detail of In-Kind Revenue Totaling $703,131

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CASA FY17 Annual Report IL.pdf 1 6/14/18 4:28 PM

FISCAL YEAR

2017

DONORS