Vigilant Voices™ hosted by Jeannine Panzera and Kristin Blalock from Henrico CASA

There are many 'Vigilant Voices' in our community, speaking up for the wellbeing of children. Today, we welcome Beth Bonniwell, Henrico County Police Division's Domestic Violence Coordinator. Beth's visit is timely, as October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness, support survivors, and work towards prevention. In this episode, Beth mentions an article sh...

Foster Care is a short term solution for children in crisis. The three potential long-term outcomes for these children are reunification, kinship care, or adoption. Of the three, reunification is generally preferred IF SAFE because studies show children do best when with their family... but a successful reunification takes a village! ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’ve le...

Children find their identities within the context of family. That is why kinship care can be a great outcome for a child who cannot safely remain with their parents - it offers a vital sense of belonging. But kinship care may also bring unique challenges... Listen and learn how you can help strengthen families by supporting kinship caregivers. Explore the Virginia Kinship Resource Guide to learn m...

There are many 'Vigilant Voices' in our community, speaking up for the wellbeing of children. Today, we welcome Amy Johnson , Henrico County Public School's Mental Health Clinical Supervisor. Amy is a passionate advocate for children and young adults, helping them overcome barriers and achieve their full potential. Learn more about all of the services available to HCPS students under t...

It is vital for teenagers to learn and develop outside of school. They are at a critical crossroads, about to transition into adulthood. Beyond academics, there are so many life skills to gain! Join us as we discuss what you can teach teens and how important it is to be their encouragers! ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’ve learned that it’s important to KNOW about the ch...

Parents are children's first teachers. But what happens when a parent isn't able to step into that role? Learn more about how we can help fill the gap to support early learning for children. There are great early learning resources at our local library! Find the location nearest you to see what they have going on this summer. ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’ve learned th...

There are many 'Vigilant Voices' in our community, speaking up for the wellbeing of children. Today, we welcome our very own Suzanne Harrison , Henrico CASA's Community Engagement Coordinator. Suzanne is working her first case as a trained CASA Advocate and enthusiastically shares her experience so far! Learn more about the Advocate Role and register for an upcoming information session...

Discipline isn't just about correction, especially for kids who have experienced trauma. Positive discipline allows for connection, in addition to instruction. Join us as we continue our discussion on age appropriate methods of positive discipline, focusing on older children and teens. And be sure to check out the Golden Rules of Discipline published by Today's Parent. ***** In our work as...

Discipline isn't just about correction, especially for kids who have experienced trauma. Positive discipline allows for connection, in addition to instruction. Join us as we discuss age appropriate methods of positive discipline for the toddlers and young children in our lives. This fact sheet published by the American Psychological Association is a great tool! ***** In our work as Court Appointed...

There are many 'Vigilant Voices' in our community, speaking up for the wellbeing of children. Today, we welcome Barry Martin ⁠ , President and Creative Director of The Idea Center . We have no doubt you will be inspired by Barry's story and take-away that "everybody has something to give." Barry and his team have collaborated with Henrico CASA to create many videos that conve...

Every family situation is unique... But in our work as CourtAppointed Special Advocates, we often see commonalities among our cases. Today, we discuss three all too common issues that are cited in our cases: Domestic Violence, Housing Instability, and the Absence of a Parent. Listen. Learn. And consider how YOU could help connect a family with the resources these need. A great first step is to vis...

Every family situation is unique... But in our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we often see commonalities among our cases. Today, we discuss two specific issues that are cited in more than half of our cases: Mental Health Issues and Substance Use Disorders. Listen. Learn. And consider how YOU could become part of the solution by volunteering as an Advocate! We have a virtual information...

There are many 'Vigilant Voices' in our community, speaking up for the wellbeing of children. Today, we welcome Jody Alexander , Chief Executive Officer at YMCA of Greater Richmond. Jody shares how she is personally connected to the YMCA's mission AND how she then carries out that mission in RVA. Click here to find your local YMCA and see what opportunities they have to build your spir...

You story matters. Your story can influence and inspire others. Today, we share Ashley Rhodes-Courter 's story... because she so moved us during her key-note speech at Henrico CASA's recent 30th Anniversary Celebration. We encourage you to watch Ashley's full demo video here . ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’ve learned that it’s important to KNOW about the ch...

Respect is defined as 'due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.' Showing respect may look differently depending on with whom you are interacting. In today's episode, we boil showing respect down to a simple mantra: Listen. Check tone. Watch words. Give it a try! We also encourage you to check out our 2025 Home for Good playhouses before it's too late! Every $10 donatio...

There are many 'Vigilant Voices' in our community, speaking up for the wellbeing of children.... especially within our local Henrico County Public School system.  Today, we welcome Mac Beaton , Director of Career and Technical Education, to talk about finding our students' WHY! Learn more about Henrico's CTE program here AND see the playhouse built by Mac's CTE students on our Home for Good® webpa...

Celebrating our wins is a positive form of selfcare! When we pause to recognize successes, big or small, we boost our mood, confidence, and resilience. We invite you to celebrate CASA wins with us every month through our Mission Moment email stories. Sign-up to received these messages as a monthly reminder of what we can accomplish when we work together to protectchildren and help them write the n...

Self care isn't selfish! And in order to model healthy self care for children, we must first be taking care of ourselves. Join us for self care tips for ourselves AND the children in our lives. And be sure to check out this list of 101 Simple Self Care Ideas for Kids ! ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’ve learned that it’s important to KNOW about the challenges facing...

There are many 'Vigilant Voices' in our community, speaking up for the wellbeing of children.... some are individuals, some are groups or companies.  Today, we welcome William Roberts , Liesfeld Contractor 's Business Development Manager, to talk about Liesfeld's commitment to Henrico County AND our 5th year collaborating on Henrico CASA's Home for Good® playhouse event! Take a...

Stability is one of the most important factors impactinga child’s development. Life will always throw us curveballs, so change is inevitable. Even so, we can build consistency and predictability into children’s lives to give a sense of stability amid any storm.  ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’ve learned that it’s important to KNOW about the challenges facing children an...

Attachment is the emotional bond that forms between achild and their caregiver. When the attachment process is disrupted, it takes work to re-establish this trusting relationship… but it can be done! Learn more in today’s conversation with Jeannine and Kristin! ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’velearned that it’s important to KNOW about the challenges facing children and...

There are many 'Vigilant Voices' in our community, speaking up for the wellbeing of children.  Today, we welcome Ali Wall, Safe Harbor ’s Director of Human Trafficking Services, to help us understand the signs of trafficking. Protecting children requires us to be involved and inquisitive!   ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’velearned that it’s important to KNOW about the c...

Children can survive adverse experiences, but we want them to not just survive, but thrive! Positive childhood experiences build up resilience and counteract the potential negative impact of adverse experiences. Get your resilience score here . ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’ve learned that it’s important to KNOW about the challenges facing children and families to ensu...

Adverse Childhood Experiences impact a child's present AND future. The more ACEs a child experiences, the higher their risk of a variety of physical, mental, and behavioral health concern. But remember, ACEs can be prevented and their effects mitigated. Take the ACE quiz here and find out what your score means and doesn't mean. ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’ve learned...

There are many 'Vigilant Voices' in our community, speaking up for the wellbeing of children.  Today, we welcome Babz Barnett , co-founder of Romp n' Roll ⁠⁠ . Join us in talking through the power of play! ***** In our work as Court Appointed Special Advocates, we’ve learned that it’s important to KNOW about the challenges facing children and families to ensure NO child faces abuse, neglect, or tr...