5 Easy Steps to Becoming A CASA

Fundamental to Passaic and Union County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is the belief that every child who has experienced abuse or neglect deserves to have a dedicated advocate speaking up for their best interest in school, in court, and in our community.

You do not need any special skills to be a CASA Volunteer. You just need the desire to help a child, a valid driver's license, be at least 21, a clear background check, basic computer skills, and the ability to communicate verbally and in writing.

Step 1:
Attend an Information Session. We host Information Sessions several times a month. During the Information Session, participants will learn about the Volunteer Program, the foster care system, CASA training, and how CASA Volunteers change lives. We have Information Sessions on the following dates:

APRIL
Wayne office – Wednesday, April 3, at 5:30pm
Wayne office – Monday, April 8, at 12pm
Wayne office – Thursday, April 11, at 5:30pm
Clark Public Library – Monday, April 22, at 5:30pm
Elizabeth office – Tuesday, April 30, at 10am

MAY
Wayne Office — Thursday, May 2 at 5:30pm
Wayne Office — Wednesday, May 8 at 12pm
Clark Public Library — Thursday, May 9 at 5:30pm
Elizabeth Office — Wednesday, May 15 at 12pm
Wayne Office — Friday, May 17 at 12pm
Wayne Office — Monday, May 20 at 10am
Clark Public Library — Thursday, May 23 at 5:30pm

All Information Sessions are in-person and take place at one of three locations:

• Wayne office, 415 Hamburg Turnpike, Wayne, NJ 07470,

• Elizabeth office, 1143 E Jersey Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201,

• Clark Public Library, 303 Westfield Ave, Clark, NJ 07066.

For more information on attending a session, call Sara Torres at 973 832 4002 or email sara@casapassaicunion.org.

Step 2:
Apply, via an online application, to be accepted into training. Online applications may be completed before or after attending an Information Session.

Step 3:
Complete all of your pre-training paperwork, including an interview and background check.

Step 4:
Sign-up for the next Training Session—about four times per year, we offer a 36-hour training that teaches volunteers how to advocate for the best interest of children living in foster care. Training times vary from day to evening and various days of the week. The training curriculum will guide you through the role of the volunteer, the child welfare system, the needs and development of children, trauma, mental health, professional communication, cultural competence, and educational needs. These resources and tools will help prepare you to advocate for a child, or children, living in foster care. Training is currently scheduled to take place in our Wayne office.

Step 5:
After your 36 hours of training is complete, and all of your paperwork is completed and cleared, you are sworn in as an official court appointed special advocate and will be appointed to your first case.

Questions?

The best way to get all your questions answered is to attend a Volunteer Information Session! You can also check our FAQ that covers some of the questions we get asked most frequently about being a CASA Volunteer. If you have a question that isn’t covered, feel free to contact us and we will get back to you!