Volunteers Needed To Help Foster Children

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Passaic and Union Counties is inviting volunteers to sign up for one of their information sessions ahead of their next training class in January.

CASA recruits, trains, and aids volunteers who help children in foster care by checking on their well-being. As of October, more than 500 kids across both counties were living in a foster environment.

CASA is a program within "Child Focus," a charitable organization that works to help victims and those at-risk of abuse or neglect within the child welfare system.

"The CASA volunteer is often the one consistent adult in a child's life while they navigate foster care," said Executive Director of Child Focus, Erica Fischer-Kaslander. "It really can be life-changing, for the children and the advocate."

Fischer-Kaslander added that all volunteers are fully trained and supported throughout their work, and do not need to have a background in the field.

After a 36-hour training, court observation, and background check, volunteers are sworn in by a Family Court judge and appointed to a child or group of siblings. Monthly visits with the children are followed by talking with everyone involved in the case, and submitting reports and recommendations directly to the judge.

Volunteers must be at least 21 years old and register to attend an information session, either virtual or in-person, before moving on to the training.

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