It’s hard to spend a minute with Ariane Yazdan, the Executive Director of CASA of Ocean County, and not feel the unmistakable passion she has for the children they serve. For her, advocating for children in foster care isn’t just a job—it’s a lifelong commitment to ensuring every child has someone fighting for their future.
For children entering foster care, life can change in an instant.
They may be removed from their home because of abuse or neglect. They may leave behind everything familiar—their bedroom, their school, their friends, even the routines that make childhood feel safe. In the days and weeks that follow, they often find themselves navigating a complex system filled with unfamiliar people and uncertain outcomes.
That is where CASA of Ocean County steps in.
CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, trains everyday people to become advocates for children in foster care. Serving Ocean County, New Jersey, the nonprofit works to ensure that children who have experienced abuse or neglect have someone focused solely on their best interests.
“Our mission is to train everyday people like you and I to advocate for the best interests of children in foster care,” Ariane explains.
The child ran out of the house and shouted, “You found me. You found me.”
Those children may be placed anywhere—from foster homes in Ocean County to neighboring counties and, occasionally, even out of state. Regardless of where they live, CASA volunteers work to ensure they receive the services, support, and opportunities they need to thrive.
The organization collaborates with a broad network of stakeholders, including schools, healthcare providers, social workers, attorneys, foster families, and the courts. With so many people involved in a child’s life, it can be difficult to keep everyone informed and aligned.
“Our role is to make sure that the child is receiving everything they’re supposed to be getting,” says Ariane. “Often a CASA volunteer acts as the liaison between many groups because it’s almost impossible for everyone to know what everyone else is doing.”
The impact of that advocacy is significant.
Today, CASA of Ocean County is one of the largest CASA programs in New Jersey. The county is home to approximately 400 children in foster care—an unexpectedly high number for a community without a major urban center. Since 2017, CASA of Ocean County has served more than 500 children. In 2025 alone, the organization served more than 200 children and welcomed more than 80 new children into the program. Yet despite these accomplishments, the organization’s vision remains ambitious: to provide a CASA volunteer for every child in foster care in Ocean County.
For Ariane, the work is deeply personal. More than 20 years ago, she began her journey as a CASA volunteer herself before building a career in child welfare and ultimately leading the Ocean County program.
She understands firsthand the difference a dedicated advocate can make.
One story, in particular, has stayed with her.
An 11-year-old child in foster care had been moved 11 times in just six months. During one placement change, the child’s CASA volunteer arrived for a visit.
The child ran out of the house and shouted, “You found me. You found me.”
The child had been afraid nobody would know where they were. Afraid they had been forgotten.
“No 11-year-old should feel that way,” Ariane says.
Moments like that remind the CASA team why their work matters—and why community support is so essential.
Small Acts Create Lasting Impact
Providing life-changing advocacy for hundreds of children takes more than dedicated volunteers. It requires a community willing to invest in their future.
That’s why CASA of Ocean County values partnerships like Stop & Shop’s Community Bag Program.
Since first participating in the program in 2019, CASA has been selected 11 times by local Stop & Shop stores, helping raise critical funds while also increasing awareness of the organization’s mission throughout Ocean County.
For Ariane, the impact extends far beyond fundraising.
“It underlines our work in the community by having Stop & Shop highlight CASA for the work that we do,” she says. “I’ve had friends and family say, ‘Oh, I saw CASA at my Stop & Shop.’ Even our volunteers come back and tell us they bought a bag to support us.”
Those conversations matter because they introduce more people to CASA’s mission and create new opportunities for engagement.
But the funds themselves also make a tangible difference. “100% of the funds that we raise go directly to the program to work with the kids,” Ariane explains.
Sometimes that funding helps recruit, train, and support new CASA volunteers. Other times, it helps provide resources that bring comfort, confidence, and normalcy to children navigating difficult circumstances.
One example is CASA’s annual back-to-school initiative. Each year, the organization provides every child in its program with a brand-new backpack filled with school supplies.
“Every child should go to school with a brand-new backpack and ready to start their new school year,” says Ariane. “But especially for foster children, it’s a little slice of normalcy.”
For many children, a backpack is simply a school necessity. For a child in foster care, it can be a reminder that someone is thinking about them, supporting them, and helping them start the year prepared and confident.
The funds raised through Stop & Shop’s Community Bag Program also help provide birthday gifts, holiday presents, school supplies, and other essentials that many children might otherwise go without.
“We’ve got kids going off to college,” Ariane says. “We’ve used some of the funds to help get school supplies and even computers that they didn’t have.”
These may seem like small purchases, but their impact can be profound. Whether it’s a backpack, a birthday gift, or a laptop for a young person pursuing higher education, each item sends the same message: you matter.
“Every little bit helps,” says Ariane. “Whether it’s one more item in a backpack, a special birthday gift, or something a child didn’t think they were going to get.”
Investing in the Future
CASA’s commitment to children doesn’t end when they approach adulthood.
One of the organization’s growing priorities is supporting older youth who are aging out of foster care. These young adults often face significant challenges as they transition to independent living, higher education, or the workforce.
“We want to help empower them,” Ariane says. “We’re really expanding that work.”
Through additional volunteer training and community partnerships, CASA is helping ensure young people have the guidance and resources they need to succeed long after they leave the foster care system.
He told me everything he knows about being a parent, he learned from us.
Sometimes, the impact of that support comes full circle years later.
Ariane recalls hearing from a former CASA child who had become a parent himself.
“He was in his 30s,” she says. “He told me everything he knows about being a parent, he learned from us.”
For the team at CASA, those moments are both humbling and deeply rewarding.
They are reminders that the impact of a volunteer’s advocacy, a donor’s contribution, or even a simple bag purchased at Stop & Shop can extend far beyond the present moment.
A Community Effort
As CASA of Ocean County looks ahead, one need rises above all others: more volunteers.
“We need volunteers,” Ariane says. “Please sign up to be a CASA volunteer.”
The organization offers training several times each year and welcomes community members from all backgrounds who want to make a difference in a child’s life.
“Come into our family,” she says. “It’s such an amazing team. You’ll make some great friends and do some really good work for your community and for the kids that live here, because they are our neighbors.”
Because every child deserves someone who believes in their future.
Whether through volunteering, attending an event, making a donation, purchasing a reusable bag, or simply spreading awareness, community support helps CASA continue its work on behalf of Ocean County’s most vulnerable children.
Because every child deserves someone who believes in their future.
And thanks to dedicated volunteers, caring supporters, and partnerships with businesses like Stop & Shop, CASA of Ocean County is helping provide children in foster care with the advocacy, resources, and opportunities they need to build brighter futures—one child at a time.
Published July 29, 2026.