CASA Creates Awareness of Child Abuse
The month of April highlighted child abuse awareness. Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children of Essex County (CASA of Essex) celebrated their volunteers during Volunteer Appreciation Week for their effort to change foster children’s lives. Additionally, in honor of CASA Child Advocate Month, CASA of Essex partnered with over twenty-five local businesses to help raise awareness by planting blue pinwheel gardens throughout the county, as a reminder that every child deserves a safe childhood.
To shed much needed light on the severity of child abuse—every ten seconds, an allegation of child abuse is reported nationwide, and over 4.3 million children are impacted yearly. Nearly fifty percent of those children are under the age of five. In New Jersey, it is estimated that there are 2.2 million residents of New Jersey, aged 18 and under; and among that total, nearly 6,300 children each year are living in homes that are not their own, having been removed, for even just one night, because of abuse or neglect and placed in foster care.
With these staggering numbers in tow, CASA of Essex focuses on recruiting and training volunteers to uplift the voices of abused and neglected children. CASA volunteers represent all walks of life with diverse backgrounds, professions, and skill sets. They undergo an extensive and intensive specialized training that provide them with the knowledge needed to be the court’s eyes and ears for children in and out of court, thereby improving the quality of information presented to the court. By advocating on a child’s behalf, a CASA volunteer works to ensure that each child has access to the services they need and the opportunity to thrive.
To learn more about CASA of Essex and volunteer opportunities, visit casaessex.org.
