Judge administers oath to Barbara Whitaker of Union
Among the latest class of community volunteers to complete child advocacy training and take their oath from Superior Court Judge James Hely to become Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Union County are Barbara Whitaker of Union and residents of Summit, Cranford, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Linden, Roselle, Westfield and Winfield.
Volunteers with CASA serve as extra eyes and ears for family law judges hearing cases involving the county’s abused, neglected or abandoned children removed from home and placed in foster care. They have court-ordered access to all parties in a foster child’s life, including foster parents, doctors, caseworkers, therapists and teachers, and incorporate findings into court reports from these contacts as well as time spent with the youth. In addition to ensuring their needs are met and best interests protected, the CASA volunteers aim to become a constant in the life of their assigned youth, who are living amid unknowns about their future, changing caseworkers and multiple foster homes.
The new advocates are ages 28 to 72 and include parents and non-parents; professionals in business, technology, education and law enforcement; students; retirees; and homemakers. Most had no prior knowledge of the foster system. Each will soon receive their case and meet the foster youth for whom they will advocate.
It is CASA of Union County’s goal that every Union County foster child have an advocate, yet half of the more than 500 such youth still await one. Could you be their voice? The next training begins July 11, 2018 and two additional trainings are slated for the fall. For details, contact Courtney at 908-293-8136 or cgreen@casaofunioncounty.org, or log on to www.casaofunioncounty.org.
(above) Joining CASA Executive Director Marla Higginbotham (left) and Superior Court Judge James Hely (center) are, (l-r) newly sworn advocates Lisa Harold of Elizabeth, Kevin Byron of Roselle, Soraya Fernandez of Cranford, Doris Johnson of Linden, Lori Leiter of Summit, Juliet Lehavi of Westfield, Shymaa Mansour of Jersey City, Susan Wright of Winfield and Barbara Whitaker of Union.
