Erica Fischer-Kaslander \u201913 MA studied sociology in undergraduate school, with a plan
\nto pursue a degree in law. But as graduation drew closer, a different vision began to
\nform.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaw school no longer felt like a good fit,\u201d she says. \u201cMy internships and early career
\nexperiences were pointing me in a different direction. I wanted to contribute to the
\ncommunity in a more hands-on way.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a case manager with the Gift of Life Foundation-Rotary International District 7490,
\nFischer-Kaslander was the force behind the "Internet Lifeline" project that used internet
\ntechnology to locate, acquire, screen and coordinate pediatric patients with high-risk
\ncongenital heart disease in developing nations. In 2000, the initiative was recognized as
\na Stockholm Challenge finalist, an international award program for innovative use of
\ninformation technology.<\/p>\n
Fischer-Kaslander brought her unique brand of dynamism to subsequent positions at
\nBethany Christian Services and Madison Adoption Associates, before taking on the
\nmost challenging role of her career: founding Passaic County Court Appointed Special
\nAdvocates (CASA).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started from nothing,\u201d she says, recalling her first days as the organization\u2019s
\nexecutive director.<\/p>\n
That was in 2007. Since then, Fischer-Kaslander\u2019s leadership has guided Passaic
\nCounty CASA through exponential growth. In its 15 years of operation, the organization
\nhas advocated for more than 1,000 children and trained 440 volunteers who serve as
\nchampions for abused and neglected children.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe currently have 150 active volunteer advocates,\u201d Fischer-Kaslander notes. \u201cAs a
\nresult, since 2019 we have been able to serve 100 percent of the children who enter the foster care system in Passaic County. Typically, a child\u2019s case is assigned to a CASA volunteer within two weeks of entering the system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because of the strength of the Passaic County program, the organization can invest in
\nensuring a good match between child and CASA volunteer as well.<\/p>\n
As Fischer-Kaslander\u2019s responsibilities grew, so did her desire to expand her expertise.
\n\u201cMontclair\u2019s master\u2019s program in Child Advocacy and Policy, very new at the time, tied
\nin perfectly with the work that I was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fischer-Kaslander appreciated the program\u2019s thoughtful course scheduling and the
\nwillingness of the faculty to accommodate students who were building careers while
\npursuing graduate study. \u201cThe professors were also working in the field, and in the
\ncommunity,\u201d she says. \u201cThere was great crossover between school and career. I would
\nsee professors in class, and then again in the courthouse. It tied things together
\nbeautifully and gave me a solid foundation of both knowledge and professional
\nrelationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fischer-Kaslander enjoyed the close-knit, non-traditional class environment. \u201cSince the
\nprogram was so new, my first classes were in an old house at the edge of the campus,\u201d
\nshe says. \u201cThe program quickly outgrew the building, but I really liked the cozy feel of
\nthat space.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fischer-Kaslander, an active volunteer herself who holds the honor of serving as the
\nyoungest president of the Paterson Rotary Club, returns to campus for workshops and
\nconferences, and whenever possible she recruits interns from Montclair. And she has
\nkept in touch with a few of her professors, who provide continuing education for her
\nCASA staff and volunteers.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeading Passaic County CASA has been an amazing journey,\u201d she says. \u201cIn the last
\ntwo years alone, we have doubled our staff, and we launched the New Jersey Safe
\nBabies Court Team, an initiative that uses the science of early childhood development
\nto improve outcomes for infants, toddlers and families. The program is operating in
\nthree counties \u2013 Passaic, Essex and Hudson.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe program won a highly competitive five-year grant from the U.S. Health Resources
\nand Services Administration,\u201d Fischer-Kaslander adds. \u201cWe are continuing our focus on
\nchild advocacy, safety and well-being, while expanding our services in a holistic way
\nthrough evidence-based processes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Safe Babies Court Team initiative has also led to a deeper connection with
\nMontclair through a partnership with the University\u2019s Center for Autism and Early
\nChildhood Mental Health. In fact, Dr. Gerry Costa, recently retired as director of the
\nCenter, has joined the Passaic County CASA board. \u201cHaving this level of expertise right
\nin our backyard has been incredible,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Fischer-Kaslander is putting her education, her drive and her partnerships to good use,
\nand it\u2019s making an impact. In August she was included in the NJBIZ Forty Under 40 list,
\nwhich recognizes 40 business men and women under the age of 40 for their notable
\nsuccesses and demonstrations of strong leadership in the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe connections and professional relationships I formed at Montclair have been so
\nimportant to my work, especially in my early career. When I began my graduate studies
\nat the University, I never imagined I could be in the place I am today professionally, but
\nnow I couldn\u2019t imagine it any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Erica Fischer-Kaslander \u201913 MA began as the first executive director of Passaic County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), the organization was little more than a dream and a borrowed office cubicle. In the 15 years since, Passaic County CASA has advocated for more than 1,000 children and trained hundreds of volunteers to serve as champions for abused and neglected children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":326,"featured_media":211734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-211733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-76_alumni-news-and-events","category-77_alumni-spotlight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/326"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211733"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211733\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":211741,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211733\/revisions\/211741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/211734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}