Westfield Woman Honored For Advocating For Foster Kids

WESTFIELD, NJ — A Westfield local was among two to be honored for her work with the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Union County, that works to protect the best interests of local youth placed in foster care due to abuse, neglect or abandonment.

Barbara Bagger was presented with the Dream-Keeper Award for Outstanding Volunteerism at the fifth annual Foster the Dream gala.

Bagger is both an adoptive and biological mother, and wife to former state Sen. Richard Bagger. She advocates for four foster youth with histories of substance abuse, homelessness, medical and educational needs, sexual and physical abuse and neglect. Through 15 court appearances, the judge has accepted 60 of her 76 recommendations.

The second honoree was longtime Summit resident Marité Robinson, who received the Honorable Jo-Anne B. Spatola Dream-Maker Award.

“Barbara and Marité are shining examples of the power of passionately preserving the welfare of others. Each have busy lives and other responsibilities yet they choose to serve and change the course for children without a safety net. They are that safety net. It’s CASA of Union County’s privilege to have them," said Executive Director Marla Higginbotham.

The gala also focused on the continued need for additional community volunteers to serve as advocates.

"Nearly half the local youth in foster care still need their own Barbara or Marité, their voice in the system. As the only organization in the county providing this service to the judiciary, it’s our duty to trumpet the urgent need for more volunteers to step up, speak up and lift up a fragile child. The power to change the trajectory of a life is there for the taking,” Higginbotham said.

CASA volunteers are court-empowered to speak to all parties in the child’s life and serve as eyes and ears for the judge. Nearly half of the more than 500 Union County youth in care still need a CASA volunteer to protect their best interests.

Two advocate training sessions are forming now that incorporate six in-person classes with online course work: Saturday mornings starting Feb. 24 and Tuesday evenings starting April 3. For details, contact Lisa Poris at 908-293-8135.

(Image via CASA: Westfield’s Barbara Bagger accepting CASA of Union County’s Dream-Keeper Award for Outstanding Volunteerism.)

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