2022 Impact

Despite the pandemic, and its attendant challenges, Bergen CASA championed our foster kids helping to ensure they had all of the support they deserve! 

Highlights include:

• 96 Advocates supported 130 foster children (100% of Bergen county’s eligible foster children)
• 98% of Advocates’ recommendations were accepted by the family court judges
• 5,349 hours volunteered (including driving over 18,000 miles)
• 404 family court hearings attended
• Over 300 fully-stuffed backpacks distributed
• Over 250 children received birthday gifts and holiday toys
• 44 families were provided with essential baby supplies including diapers, formula and wipes
• Advocates spent over 687 hours on in-service training

These numbers do not reflect the day-to-day activities our advocates undertake, for example:

• spending weekends writing court reports,
• taking work personal days to drive long distances to visit foster child, and
• answering emergency phone calls at night or in the early morning hours from a runaway, going to meet and persuading the child to return.