Henrico CASA welcomes 8 new volunteers
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Eight new volunteers for Henrico Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are now in place after a swearing-in ceremony Feb. 22 by Chief Judge Sharon Gregory Jacobs of Henrico’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. The eight now will be supervised by Henrico CASA as they advocate for children involved in the child welfare and judicial system due to allegations of abuse or neglect. They are: Ellen Armstrong, Shawandra Jackson, Darius Koch, Julie Rankin, Molly Ratliff, Jennifer Spann, Elizabeth Thomas, and Stacy Willer.
Jacobs congratulated the new advocates on taking their oath, highlighting the importance of CASA’s role in sharing valuable information with the court to aid decision making regarding a child’s placement and best interests. CASA reports “bring to life” the situations, including family dynamics and challenges, that a child is facing, she said.
In addition to providing reports to the Court, CASA volunteers spend time with their assigned child(ren) on a weekly basis.
Studies have shown that one of the key indicators for child well-being is the number of committed adults in their lives, according to Henrico CASA Executive Director Jeannine Panzera.
“In addition to speaking up for children’s best interests in court, our CASA volunteers play an integral part in making sure they maintain positive relationships with their families, friends, and home communities in whatever safe way is possible,” she said.
The new volunteers quickly be assigned to a child or sibling group, since there is a list of cases awaiting them. Henrico CASA has been appointed to 32 children since the beginning of this year alone.
Since 1994, Henrico CASA has served nearly 3,900 children in the Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
The agency is seeking more volunteers to help meet the demand for its services. It will offer another training session this spring to ensure there are enough volunteers to fill the need. No prior experience is necessary, since Henrico CASA provides training. To register for an upcoming information session, visit www.HenricoCASA.org/volunteers. To learn more about Henrico CASA, visit www.henricocasa.org or contact Program Manager Trish Stewart at (804) 501-1672 or ste118@henrico.us.
