Sixteen Atlantic, Cape May County Residents Become CASA Volunteers

SOMERS POINT — Sixteen Atlantic and Cape May County residents were recently sworn in as Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers. The swearing in ceremony was the culmination of 30 hours of classroom instruction in child advocacy, the court system and cultural competency. As CASA volunteers, they will advocate on behalf of children living in the foster care system and make sure that the youth receive necessary resources and services while living in foster care. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the children are placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible.
The new CASA volunteers are Dian Dabek of Longport, Cyndi Zubia of Atlantic City, Roxann Navarra of Somers Point, Laura LaPorte of Egg Harbor Township, Sharon White of Egg Harbor Township, Caitlin Torres of Absecon, Steven Betchner of Ocean City, Nick Maffei of Ocean City, Jennifer Robinson of Leesburg, Ashleigh Bry of Petersburg, Terry Bongiovanni of Mays Landing, Judy Fern of Margate, Pam York of Atlantic City, Jeanne Leisner of Cape May Court House, Karen Laney of Townbank and Jacqueline Caplan of Northfield.
“We can’t thank these individuals enough for stepping up to help children in need,” said Director of Program Services Jennifer Valentine. “As the number of children in care continues to grow, so does our need to recruit and train volunteers. Our goal is to have a CASA volunteer for all 1,000 children who need one and we are half way to that goal. We welcome these new CASA volunteers and know that they will help change the lives of the children they meet. In the process of helping these children, the volunteers’ lives will be changed as well.”
CASA volunteers are authorized to meet with everyone on the child’s case, including teachers, case workers, counselors and health care providers. This unique access provides the basis for thoughtful, objective recommendations to the Family Court Judge regarding the child’s overall well being. Through written court reports at each hearing, CASA volunteers act as the eyes and ears of the Judge.
Currently, CASA has the capacity to serve nearly 50 percent of the children in care in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. Individuals interested in becoming a CASA volunteer should attend the Information Sessions held monthly at the CASA office in Somers Point, N.J. For more information call (609) 601-7800 or visit www.AtlanticCapeCASA.org.
About CASA of Atlantic and Cape May Counties:
Trained CASA Volunteers speak in family court on behalf of abused and neglected children in the foster care system and are dedicated to ensuring these children are placed in safe permanent homes as quickly as possible. In Atlantic and Cape May Counties, over 1,000 children are placed in foster care annually. Last fiscal year, CASA served 475 abused and neglected children with nearly 200 CASA Volunteers and helped place 130 children in permanent homes. For more information about CASA visit www.AtlanticCapeCASA.org. CASA is a United Way Partner Agency.
About National CASA:
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children is a network of 946 community-based programs that recruit, train and support citizen volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in courtrooms and communities. The only program of its kind, CASA volunteers are empowered by the courts to provide children with one-on-one advocacy. CASA volunteers see their assigned children regularly and interview all the adults who impact their lives. Volunteer advocates offer judges the critical information they need to ensure each child’s rights and needs are being attended to while in foster care, staying with the child until she is placed in a loving permanent home. For many abused children, their CASA volunteer is the only constant adult presence in their lives. (www.casaforchildren.org)