Henrico County CASA welcomes 6 new advocates

Henrico County Court Appointed Special Advocates welcomed six new CASA volunteers March 10 to advocate for children who are before the court because of allegations of abuse or neglect.

The Honorable Sharon G. Jacobs of the Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court administered the CASA Volunteer Oath of Appointment, during which the volunteers pledged that they are willing and ready to be advocates for children.

The volunteers are: Jennifer Anthony, Valerie Coley, Shanna Crawford, Tyler Holder, Robert Oaster and Donna Silver.

Jacobs distributed certificates and congratulated the new advocates on taking the oath, the culmination of 38 hours of training during the previous month. Being appointed as one of the five standing judges on the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court bench, Jacobs often sat as a substitute judge, and in that role always looked for the CASA report because “it was a life saver” and helped her understand the cases before her, she said.

Jacobs told the new advocates that she can always expect the CASA report to be neutral and unbiased, and the information provided helped to “humanize the case.” Such reports reflect the “hours, energy, and commitment of each CASA volunteer, and cannot be replicated,” she said.

Children who come before the court because they have been abused or neglected often face a frightening set of circumstances, so CASA works to ensure that their voices are heard by listening and observing, as well as gathering, organizing, and sharing relevant information with the courts on whose decisions the children’s futures depend.

Last year, 113 volunteers advocated for 401 children in the Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

Henrico CASA’s next training begins on April 17. For details, contact Executive Director Jeannine Panzera at 501-1673 or pan01@henrico.us or complete an application at http://www.henricocasa.org.