Westfield Rotary Hears About Helping Children Entering Foster Care

WESTFIELD, NJ — At the regular Rotary meeting on Oct. 1, Courtney Como spoke to the Rotary Club of Westfield.

Como is the Director of Donor and Community Relations for Child Focus, a non-profit organization championing the best interests of children living in foster care. She spoke about their CASA program, which supports children in Union and Passaic Counties. The Rotary Club of Westfield supported CASA with a grant last year.

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. These are volunteers who serve as advocates to coordinate the care of children entering the foster care system. The CASA advocate visits the child once a month, reviews all documents and records concerning the child, and interviews the children, families and professionals dealing with the child. They write reports for the family courts for all hearings, and attend those hearings. They recommend any services needed to ensure the child has an appropriate caregiver and receives the services they need to thrive. The website is www.casapassaicunion.org

The average time a child spends in foster care is 2 years. The CASA volunteer is asked to follow the case until a permanent place is secured for the child. The average CASA volunteer works with one child at a time, and is on the case for between 18 to 24 months, spending approximately 10 to 15 hours per month. Court appearances are about every 2 to 3 months. Approximately 5,000 children in New Jersey live in Foster Care. Nearly 15 percent of those children are age 1 or younger. Approximately 25 percent are teenagers.

CASA runs a "store" which provides free clothing, shoes, coats, and toiletries to children living in foster care. They also offer books, toys, diapers and baby essentials. Stores are located in Elizabeth and Wayne. To make a donation, contact Courtney@childfocusnj.org.

Children who have a CASA volunteer have greater stability and consistency, have a lower likelihood of abuse or neglect, and have an improved academic and social development.

Volunteers need to be 21 years old, have a driver's license, speak English, have basic computer skills, complete a 5-week training course, and pass a background check.

Major projects for the Rotary Club of Westfield include helping homeless veterans, collecting used bicycles and sewing machines to send to the developing world, helping to feed the local food insecure, sponsoring youth clubs in the local schools, and eradicating Polio worldwide. Westfield Rotary donated $35,000 in community grants, and $150,000 in scholarships this year. Since 1967, Westfield Rotary has awarded $3.5 million in college scholarships to 1800 students. A college education can significantly change a person’s life for the better.

The Rotary Club of Westfield meets the first three Tuesdays of each month for lunch at noon, at Limani Seafood Grill on North Ave. Guests are always welcome.

For information check out the website westfieldrotary.com or contact club secretary Dr. D. Michael Hart by email at drmhart@yahoo.com.

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