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About Us
About Roanoke Valley CASA….
Originating in 1986 through the efforts of Judge Philip Trompeter of the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit, and under Declaration of Trust dated June 27, 1990, the Roanoke Valley CASA Foundation was established as a non-profit organization committed to advocating for the best interests of children involved in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court process. CASA recruits, trains and supervises competent volunteer advocates dedicated to representing the needs of abused and neglected children. The program promotes safe, permanent homes for all children and seeks to educate the community concerning this growing population of children in our judicial system. Roanoke Valley CASA is part of a national network of 50,801 advocates who serve in more than 937 CASA programs across the United States, representing every state in the union including the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nationally, CASA advocates served an estimated 188,620 abused and neglected children during 2004-2005.
CASA is authorized by the Code of Virginia, Chapter 9.1-151 to 9.1-157, and monitored for regulatory compliance by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). By matching trained volunteers with dependent children, from birth to the age of 18, CASA can ensure that the needs and best interests of the assigned children in our program are met and can improve the decision-making ability of judges in the Juvenile court system regarding these children. While the purpose of the program is to ensure that the abused and neglected children involved in the court system are provided a safe, nurturing and permanent home placement, volunteer advocates serve as caring friends and mentors to children, with benefits extending into every aspect of a child’s life. Most importantly, they prevent further violence in a child’s life by ensuring that the child remains safe and protected from further abuse, strictly monitoring a child’s situation and ensuring a safe living environment. For many children, their CASA is the one constant adult presence in their life.
In the Roanoke Valley there are over 580 children currently in foster care. The courts removed these children from their parents' care as a result of abuse, neglect or the inability of the parents to care for them. Abused children are at tremendous risk for lasting emotional trauma; trauma that is exacerbated when they are thrust into a complex and confusing court process. Roanoke Valley CASA addresses the special needs of these children. Since its inception in the late 1980’s, CASA has been the "child's voice in court" for over 3000 abused and neglected children.
Our Program Goal
To reduce the trauma of children in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court system by matching a child with a trained CASA volunteer who will offer support through a long term consistent relationship. The volunteer will explore and recommend resources and options available for the child and will offer the child guidance and information in understanding and dealing with the complex, unfamiliar court and child welfare systems.
- To advocate vigorously for the rights of abused and neglected children in the Roanoke Valley ensuring that all "reasonable efforts" have been made for a child at every stage of the court dependency process.
- To improve the quality of information presented to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on behalf of the child by informing the court of the child's adjustment and state of mind. This is accomplished by gathering relevant factual information and making appropriate case recommendations in a written case report.
- To develop and implement a sound program management plan for the organization which includes recruitment, retention, supervision, and training of competent staff and volunteer advocates which are representative of the population to be served.