ELIZABETH — Union County Superior Court Judge Gavin I. Handwerker presided over the swearing- in March 27 of Deirdre Gelinne of Westfield, who trained with Court Appointed SpecialAdvocate (CASA) of Passaic and Union Counties to advocate for vulnerable children in foster care. She trained alongside Ashanti Hameed of Hillside, a recent medical school graduate.

Both women are now equipped to champion the best interests of child victims of abuse and neglect. The volunteers join a team of hundreds of devoted advocates with CASA of Passaic and Union Counties who provide life-changing advocacy and support services to each of the more than 350 children across both counties living in foster care through no fault of their own.

Ms. Gelinne noted that she first learned about the CASA program during her 11-year tenure as executive director of the Westfield United Fund. “I was inspired by the stories of the many children whose lives were changed by a CASA volunteer,” she said. Now retired from that post, she applied to become an advocate.

When asked how she was feeling before taking the oath in court, Ms. Gelinne shared, “I’m looking forward to being sworn in so I can begin the work I’ve trained for. I am conscious of taking on such an important responsibility.” That training, she added, “was very thorough. What I found most impactful were the real-life examples shared by the trainers who have all been CASAs themselves.”

Erica Fischer-Kaslander, executive director of Child Focus, the nonprofit organization that oversees the CASA program, remarked, “I’m happy to welcome Deirdre and Ashanti. Each has made a powerful commitment to ensure a child’s voice is heard, and they bring their own strengths and perspectives to the table. Having completed training and court observation, and now taken their oath before the judge, this is an exciting day. More vulnerable children in foster care will now have a consistent, caring adult in their corner.

“I encourage anyone interested in supporting vulnerable children to attend an information session to learn how they, too, can make what is a lifelong difference,” Ms. Fischer-Kaslander added.

No prior knowledge of child welfare is required to become a CASA volunteer; comprehensive training equips volunteers with the skills necessary to advocate effectively. Volunteer advocates visit their assigned child at least once monthly and communicate with caregivers, educators, caseworkers and others in the child’s life, and then make informed recommendations to the judge.

CASA of Passaic and Union Counties is a program of Child Focus, which prioritizes the needs and well-being of infants, children and teens impacted by, or at risk of, abuse or neglect. For more information, call (973) 832-4002, email info@casapassaicunion.org or visit www.casapassaicunion.org.