Scotch Plains’ Jennifer Brady Sworn In As Child Advocate

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — Scotch Plains resident Jennifer Brady was among seven community members who volunteered to serve as extra eyes and ears for family law judges hearing cases involving Union County’s abused, neglected or abandoned children in foster care.

The volunteers were sworn in by Union County Superior Court Judge James Hely and received a commemorative CASA pin and certificate.

In order to advocate for a foster child, volunteers completed 30 hours in a flex-training that combines six in-person sessions with an online learning component. The training class was made possible by a grant from the Westfield Service League.

CASA volunteers have court-ordered access to all parties in a child’s life, including foster parents, doctors, caseworkers, therapists and teachers, and incorporate into court reports findings from these contacts as well as time spent with the youth.

Volunteers advocate both in the community and court to ensure their youth’s needs are met and their time in care is as short as possible.

It’s the nonprofit’s goal that every Union County foster child that needs a CASA volunteer has one, yet nearly half of the more than 500 Union County youth in care still need a CASA volunteer to protect their best interests.

If interested in becoming a volunteer there are two advocate training sessions forming that incorporate six in-person meetings with online coursework: Saturday mornings starting Feb. 24 and Tuesday evenings starting April 3. For details, contact Lisa Poris at 908-293-8135.

(Image via CASA of Union County: Outside the new family courthouse in Elizabeth are newly installed CASA volunteers, from left, HarshSharma of Springfield, Jennifer Brady of Scotch Plains, Kim Schumacher of Westfield, Samantha Heimple ofSummit, Neha Sharma of Springfield, Lisa Scott of Summit and Nicholas Ponzio of Westfield.)

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