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Contact: Melissa O’Neill, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Melissa.Oneill@dcjs.virginia.gov 804-786-6428

Virginia Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs Receive National Grant to Raise Awareness of the Commonwealth’s Most Vulnerable Children

RICHMOND, VA – August 14, 2019 – CASA of Central Virginia, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, has been awarded a $60,000 Branding Campaign grant from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem Association for Children (CASA/GAL).

There are nearly 950 CASA/GAL programs nationwide, including 48 state offices, that recruit, train and support volunteers who advocate in court for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Their advocacy enables judges to make well-informed decisions.

“Having an adult who is invested in a child’s success makes the world of difference in helping the child persevere in life,” said Shannon Dion, Director of the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. “CASA volunteers selflessly dedicate their time to protecting our most precious and vulnerable population. The impact they have is truly inspiring.”  

National CASA/GAL has developed a broad-based national campaign, “Change a Child’s Story^TM.” It is distinguished from other campaigns in that its messaging is told from the point of view of children who have experienced abuse or neglect and shows the effects of having a volunteer by their side to advocate for their best interests.

These grant funds will be used to tailor the national public awareness campaign about child abuse and neglect to Virginia. The campaign will run during October and November of this year on social media, radio, and print media in the Coastal Virginia and Roanoke/Lynchburg markets.

“Recruitment of qualified volunteers is the most pressing need for Virginia CASA programs,” said Melissa O’Neill, State CASA Program Coordinator, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. “Virginia has never had resources for a concentrated recruitment campaign.  This funding will be immensely helpful.”

The “Change a Child’s Story^TM campaign was developed with R&R Partners, a cause-driven marketing and advocacy agency that has worked on prominent social issues campaigns. R&R Partners conducted focus groups across the country to ensure the campaign would resonate with target audiences while being sensitive to the perceptions of those with experience growing up in foster care.

The federal grant funds distributed through National CASA/GAL are provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, as authorized under the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990. In 2018, National CASA was awarded nearly $10 million in federal grants.

For more information about Virginia CASA programs:  https://virginiacasa.org/

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