Annual update · 40th anniversary
Forty years of advocacy, one child at a time.
What began in 1986 as a small, volunteer-driven effort has become four decades of showing up for children navigating foster care because of abuse or neglect.
What 40 years represents
Four decades of showing up, consistently.
Since 1986, CASA Essex has appeared in court to speak up for youth more than 31,000 times — for children from all 22 municipalities in Essex County — trained and certified 2,168 volunteer advocates, and built one of the most trusted child advocacy programs in the state.
The work behind the headlines
Monthly visits. Courtrooms. Lengthy hearings. Phone calls at difficult hours. Court reports written with care and precision. School advocacy that finally gets a child the services they were owed.
Quiet moments that changed lives
A college graduation. A sibling bond preserved. A child finally finding a permanent home. A young person entering adulthood with support instead of isolation.
This anniversary belongs to the community
Judges, volunteers, staff, board members, donors, and partners make the work possible. CASA Essex is grateful for every person who stands beside children and advocates.
“I see you. I am here. I am not going anywhere.”
That promise brought CASA Essex into existence in 1986. It is the same promise that will carry the work forward.
The annual update
The work is personal. The impact is collective.
These figures represent more than scale. They represent consistency, trust, and thousands of moments when an advocate made sure a child’s voice was heard.
Four seasonal updates
Read the year through CASA Essex’s newsletters.
In their words
What being a CASA means.
“We’re the armor for children, we’re the protectors. You have to get through us to get to them.”
“It’s making sure the kids don’t fall through the cracks.”
“An opportunity to create a different story for the youth.”
“I support kids who, through no fault of their own, are in the custody of the state.”
“I am additive to this child’s life. I can make his world better and fill in some communication gaps.”
“Proud to do something meaningful in my life.”
From the Board President
“CASA is woven into the fabric of this community in ways most people never see.”
I have lived in Essex County for more than 30 years, and I can tell you that CASA is woven into the fabric of this community in ways most people never see — in courtrooms, in school hallways, in the quiet moments when a child finally has someone in their corner. Serving as Board President during this 40th anniversary year is not a role I take lightly. It is a privilege to lead an organization that has kept a promise to children in foster care for four decades — and a responsibility to make sure that promise is kept for the next four. On behalf of our board, our staff, our advocates, and the children we serve: thank you for being part of this.
Neil Yaris
Board President, CASA for Children of Essex County
The work isn’t finished
Forty years in, the promise still calls us forward.
There are still children on the waitlist, waiting for an advocate and youth aging-out of care with more needs than the system can meet. This milestone isn't only a celebration, it's an invitation to keep the promise for the next child, and the next forty years.
Options to get involved
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Be the one adult who stays for a child.
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