Passaic CASA Welcomes 3 New Wayne Volunteers

WAYNE, NJ - Donna Hamway, Susan McHugh, and Kamala Anupindi, all of Wayne, were recently sworn in as Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers for children in foster care.

The three Wayne residents, along with 11 others, took oaths on Nov. 15 at the Passaic County Court House in Paterson during a ceremony presided over by Superior Court Judge Imre Karaszegi, Jr. Family, friends, and CASA staff watched as the new advocates pledged their oath of service and received their certificates. .

“We are proud to welcome these new volunteers to the CASA family and we look forward to working with them and seeing the difference they will make in a child’s life,” said Passaic County CASA Executive Director, Erica Fischer-Kaslander.

The group is a diverse representation of the backgrounds found in our Northern New Jersey communities and come from a variety of professional careers, including education, sales, and social services, according to CASA.

These new volunteers will be assigned to work with children who have been abused or neglected, removed from their current living situation, and placed in the child welfare system.

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They will get to know their child through monthly visits; learn about the child’s medical, educational, emotional, and physical needs; speak with parents, teachers, doctors, and family; and make informed recommendations to the Family Court Judge about what is best for the child.

It’s not every day that some of the CASAs being sworn in are also new CASA staff members. Courtney Como (Director of Development) and Laura Nanda (Child Visitation Specialist/Distance Placement Liaison) were among the 14 new advocates who pledged their devotion to serving children in foster care.

Although a new class of advocates was just sworn in, CASA is in constant need of dedicated volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. CASA especially needs more male volunteers to work with teenage boys in foster care as well as bilingual volunteers to work with children and families who primarily speak Spanish.

“Every year there are about 500 kids who would benefit from a CASA to help them navigate the tough child welfare system,” said Fischer-Kaslander.

Anyone 21 or older with time, dedication, compassion, and a love for children can be a CASA.

Volunteers of different backgrounds, ages, and professions from all parts of northern New Jersey have joined CASA as a volunteer. There is no special training required; CASA will provide you with everything you need to know.

For more information on how to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in foster care, click here or call 973-832-4002.