Health & Fitness
Local Residents Appointed as a Volunteer CASA Child Child Advocate
Various community members of Essex County were sworn in to become a volunteer advocate for children in foster care in Essex County.
Catherine Andrews and Judith Lewis of Maplewood were recently sworn in as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Essex County CASA, NJ after successfully completing a 33 hour training course. During a ceremony on December 10, 2012, they along with 18 other volunteers were sworn in as a Court Appointed Special Advocate by the Honorable Stephen J. Bernstein, of the Superior Court of New Jersey.
Essex County CASA is an independent court authorized non profit organization that trains volunteers to serve as advocates for children in foster care. CASA volunteers are appointed by the Family Court to gather information about a child’s needs while in foster care and to represent a “child’s voice in court”. For the over 2,400 foster children in Essex County, their time in out-of-home placement can often be lessened and their chances for trauma recovery greater through the presence of trained CASA Child Advocates. Essex County CASA is actively seeking additional volunteers, our next training starts February 05, 2013. For more information call: 973-648-3351 or visit: www.casaessex.org.