DESCRIPTION
- Overview of Organization and Services:
Essex County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a program of Family Services of Merrimack Valley, and recruits, trains and supervises volunteers from the community in abuse/neglect cases in the Lawrence, Newburyport, Salem, and the Lynn Juvenile Courts.
A trained CASA Volunteer is appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of a child in court. Sometimes a CASA is also called a Guardian ad Litem (GAL). Children represented by CASA Advocates are victims of abuse and/or neglect and come before the court to have a judge make decisions about their custody and placement.
The CASA Program recruits, screens, trains, supervises, and supports CASA Advocates, meeting regularly with the child and gathering information from everyone who touches the child's life, volunteer advocates offer judges the critical information they need to ensure that each child’s rights and needs are being attended to while in foster care.
Volunteers stay with children until they are placed in loving permanent homes. For many abused children, a CASA volunteer is the only constant adult presence in their lives.
CASA serves all of Essex County and all children in need of services up to age 22.
SERVICES
- Demographics Served:
Children: 12 and under, Youth: 13-18 - City/Towns Served:
Amesbury, Newbury (incl. Byfield), Newburyport, Rowley, Salisbury, West Newbury - Types of Services Provided:
Child Protection, Domestic Violence
CONTACT INFORMATION
- Address: 430 North Canal Street, Lawrence, MA 01840
- Phone: 978-327-6600
- Email: info@fsmv.org
- Website: http://www.fsmv.org
- Hours of Operation: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am – 7:00 pm www.fsmvFridays, 8:00 am – 3:00 pm