Passaic County CASA for Children is pleased to announce the appointment of three new Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) from this summer's training. On October 5, 2016, Judge Daniel Yablonsky swore-in the 3 new CASA volunteers. Cathie Photis-Ash, Connie Pearson and Lauren Zulu. The advocates join 64 other Passaic County CASA volunteers who have passed a thorough screening process and completed 36 hours of training in child development, the court and child welfare systems, interviewing children, and much more.
Passaic County CASA for Children is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to provide trained volunteer advocates for abused or neglected children involved in the legal systems of Passaic County, with the goal of achieving a permanent living arrangement for each child that will serve that child’s best interest.
Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers work as an official part of the judicial proceedings, working alongside attorneys and Department of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) and advocate for the child’s best interests in the child protection system. There are currently over 600 children in Passaic County who have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect each year. Although Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) continue to serve more of these children each year, the need for CASA volunteers continues to grow as more children enter the child welfare and court systems.
CASA volunteers are each assigned by the court to help one child or set of siblings at a time so they can focus on giving that child or sibling group the individualized advocacy and attention they need. CASA volunteers save taxpayers money and children’s futures by helping children find safe, permanent homes as soon as possible. Passaic County CASA endeavors to provide a trained volunteer advocate to each abuse/neglect foster care case.
Passaic County CASA is currently serving 220 children out of the more than 600 in the Passaic County foster care system each year.
Anyone interested in volunteer opportunities or should visit www.passaiccountycasa.org for more information, and to RSVP to an upcoming information session contact Margaret Curreri at 973-832-4002. Interested parties may also email@Mcurreri@passaiccountycasa.org for additional information.