support in 2022

For 2022, make a different kind of New Year’s resolution – volunteer to change the life of a vulnerable child in Passaic County.

Each year, almost 350 children are removed from their homes in Passaic County due to abuse and/or neglect. These children are separated from everyone and everything they’ve ever known: parents, friends, teachers, siblings, and often their personal belongings. These children need an advocate to look out for their best interests and be a consistent presence in their lives while they are living in foster care.

That’s where Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers, or CASAs, come in. CASA volunteers are compassionate, dedicated community members from all backgrounds who believe that every child deserves someone to speak up for them. CASA volunteers are partnered with a child or group of siblings, spend time with the child/children, gather information about his or her needs from the family, caretakers, teachers, doctors, and caseworkers, and make informed recommendations to the family court about the child’s future. The role of a CASA volunteer is simple: to advocate for whatever is in the best interest of the child/children.

From helping siblings find permanent homes together, to setting up a child with needed services, to uncovering information that helps reunite a loving family, volunteer advocates make incredible differences in the lives of children who have been abused and/or neglected.

“I was blessed with a wonderful childhood,” CASA volunteer Pam Saunders of Wayne said. “I believe that every child deserves a safe, loving home and being a CASA volunteer helps make that a reality.”

CASA volunteers do not require any specific educational or professional background. To become a CASA volunteer, a person must be 21 years or older, have the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, pass a background check, and complete the 30-hour training program.

The first step to becoming a volunteer is to attend an informational session, which provides details about the volunteer experience and an opportunity for prospective volunteers to ask questions. The next information sessions will be held on Saturday, January 15 from 10 - 11 a.m. and Tuesday, January 25 from 6 - 7pm.

All volunteer information sessions are held virtually. To sign up, visit https://www.passaiccountycasa.org/virtual-info-sessions.

For more information about Passaic County CASA and the volunteer program, call 973-832-4002, e-mail laura@passaiccountycasa.org, or visit www.passaiccountycasa.org.

ABOUT PASSAIC COUNTY CASA FOR CHILDREN

Passaic County CASA is a nonprofit organization that empowers volunteer advocates to speak up for the best interests of children in the foster care system. CASA is the only program in New Jersey that uses trained volunteers to work one-on-one with children, ensuring that each child receives needed services and achieves permanency in a safe, nurturing home. Last year, almost 350 youth went through the Passaic county foster care system. For additional information, please visit www.passaiccountycasa.org.

Laura Warne (she/her/hers)

Communications Coordinator

Passaic County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)