ROANOKE, Va. – The foster care crisis impacts thousands of children across Virginia. Children are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect, through no fault of their own. The lack of stability can take a huge toll, but there are ways the community can help.
Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASAs, are volunteers who get to know children in foster care and advocate for their best interests.
Studies show that children with a CASA are more likely to find a safe, permanent home, succeed in school, and are half as likely to re-enter the foster care system.
Advocating for Change
Diane Kelly, a CASA volunteer, spent her career in the mental health field and has witnessed generational trauma within families and communities.
“Why do we wait until the situation has deteriorated to the point where a kid has to come into care? Why didn’t we deal with this earlier? And that’s a frustration to me,” Kelly said. “Sometimes I also consider it to be something we need to look at systemically. How do we put the resources we need into prevention and to early intervention so that we can reduce this?”
Now retired, Kelly has volunteered as a CASA in the Roanoke Valley for the past eight years.
“It’s been wonderful. I’ve had 13 cases, 25 children. All those cases are very, very different,” Kelly said. “But every time, the CASA role stays the same. You’re the voice for the children. You represent their best interest. You’re not tied to an agency. You’re not tied to a system with regulations. You’re able to really advocate for what they need and to help people understand what it is they want.”
Espy Esparagoza has been a CASA for four months.
“I would say more of a voice,” Esparagoza said. “You know, I’m the kind of guy that, I want to give back to the community. I want the community to be somewhere where I want to be and where the future generation wants to be, and the kids are a big part of that.”
The Need in Roanoke
As of March 1, 2025, there are 283 children in foster care in the City of Roanoke—more than anywhere else in Virginia, including Norfolk, Fairfax County, Richmond, and Virginia Beach.
10 News asked Kelly what she thinks has contributed to the surge of children entering foster care.
“Poverty, lack of affordable housing, lack of health care, underemployment or no employment, increase in substance abuse—and all those factors increase the incidence of domestic violence, which is often one of the primary reasons that we see kids come into care,” Kelly said. “I think those are all things that have led to that increase.”
She added, “It’s amazing to me that we have 300 kids in Roanoke City—Roanoke City—who are in foster care, not the whole Roanoke Valley. Roanoke City—300 kids. We should be embarrassed.”
How to Help
CASA is recruiting volunteers. Judi Jacobsen, a CASA program supervisor, said there are only 50 volunteers in the Roanoke Valley, serving about 135 children a year.
“Every volunteer we have is one more child that we can serve,” Jacobsen said.
Kelly emphasized the impact a single advocate can have.
“Having that one positive influence can often make the difference about whether or not a child is going to be successful, whether or not they’re going to experience depression, whether or not they’re going to think about suicide, whether or not they’re going to consider drug abuse,” Kelly said. “And the CASA can be that person.”
Becoming a CASA
The next CASA training in the Roanoke Valley starts April 1. The deadline to apply is March 25. Volunteers must be at least 25 years old, pass a background check, and go through an eight-week training program. To fill out a volunteer application, click here.
There are CASA programs across the United States, including in Southwest and Central Virginia.
