WAYNE — You can make a difference in the life of an abused and neglected child in Passaic County by becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate this summer or fall. Passaic County CASA is currently serving 159 abused and neglected children, which is approximately 20 percent of the children in foster care in Passaic County. CASA volunteers serve as the voice of the child in the court and child welfare systems. The goal of the CASA program is to ensure that each child reaches a safe and permanent home as quickly as possible while receiving the needed appropriate services. CASA volunteers play a critical role to ensure this happens by visiting their assigned child monthly, interviewing interested parties, reviewing records, attending court hearings and providing reports to the judge. Passaic County CASA hopes to recruit at least 35 new volunteers by the end of 2013 in order to increase the number of children they serve.
CASA volunteer advocates must undergo 30 hours of training, a court room observation, and a swearing-in ceremony. Please call 973-832-4002 or visit ww.passaiccountycasa.org to RSVP to one of the upcoming informational sessions on July 23 at 10:30 a.m., Aug. 14 at 5:30 p.m., or Aug. 27 at 5:30 p.m. Each of these meetings is being held at the CASA office, located at 573 Valley Road, Suite 2, Wayne. On July 29, there is a meeting at the Ringwood Public Library at 6 p.m. Passaic County CASA’s summer training class is Aug. 5 through 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. A fall training class will take place in the evening beginning in late September.