On Tuesday, March 6, Passaic County Superior Court Judge Imre Karaszegi confirmed the new volunteer advocates in a swearing-in ceremony at the Passaic County Superior Court in Paterson. Friends, family, Passaic County CASA staff, and judiciary employees cheered and applauded after the volunteers recited their oath and became official advocates for children in foster care.

“We are honored to have 19 new Court Appointed Special Advocates, and are confident that they will make a true difference for Passaic County Children in foster care,” said Passaic County CASA Executive Director Erica Fischer-Kaslander.

Each Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer will now be assigned to a child who has been removed from home and placed into foster care due to allegations of abuse or neglect. The volunteer will get to know the child; gather information about the child’s educational, medical, emotional, and physical needs; speak with all of the people in the child’s life; and make informed recommendations to the Family Court Judge about what is in the child’s best interest.

The nineteen new Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers come from all backgrounds, but have one thing in common: they want to make a difference in the lives of children in Passaic County.

Most of the volunteers reside in Passaic County in municipalities including Wayne, Haskell, Paterson, Wanaque, and North Haledon, though some live in neighboring Bergen and Essex counties. The volunteers also have a variety of educational backgrounds and work experiences. The professions of the 19 new advocates include accountants, business professionals, stay-at-home parents, teachers, and IT specialists.