Union Vicinage Seeks Volunteers for Child Placement Review Boards and Juvenile Conference Committees

The Union Vicinage is seeking citizen volunteers to serve on its Child Placement Review (CPR) boards and its Juvenile Conference Committees (JCC).

CPR board members monitor cases of children placed in foster care or residential placements by protective services to ensure that the placement serves the best interests of the child. Board members review case records and plans, interview interested parties, and make recommendations to the court.

JCC members act as an arm of the court in a confidential manner by hearing cases involving alleged minor offenders and making recommendations to a family court judge for a resolution that will help with the juvenile’s rehabilitation.

The primary goal of the court’s volunteer program is to strengthen the court-community partnership and to enhance the public’s confidence in the court system through direct participation of community members.

Court volunteers are:

•    Systematically screened to safeguard the integrity of the court
•    Appointed by a judge for a term of one to three years
•    Trained through court orientation and program-specific instruction
•    Supported by a designated program coordinator in the local court
•    Offered diverse, relevant continuing education opportunities to support their ongoing volunteer experience and personal growth.

All members are appointed by the court for a provisional term of one year and could be reappointed for additional three-year terms. Prospective board members must undergo a screening process that includes an application, interview, fingerprinting and criminal background check.  

Youth volunteer applicants to Juvenile Conference Committees are not subject to fingerprinting and criminal background checks.

For more information about these programs and the application process, contact Family Division Volunteer Coordinator Nancy Little at 908-787-1650, ext. 21027 or Nancy.Little@njcourts.gov.