Hanover County’s newest class of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) was sworn in on April 24 by Judge Shannon O. Hoehl of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

The newest CASA members are Mollie Anderson, Cheryl Collie, Paula Dove, Betsy Farley, Sandy Flick, Pam Flippin, Andrea Jones and Nellie League.

CASA volunteers advocate for the interests of abused and neglected children who are involved in cases heard by the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Last year, 15 volunteers who contributed nearly 1,100 hours served 32 children.

“It literally is the first report I look at when I review one of these cases,” Judge Hoehl told the graduates, who added the CASA reports make it “much easier for me to understand what is going on in the life of the child you are serving.”

Judge Hoehl asked the family members of the new CASA volunteers in attendance to “give them an extra hug at night, because what they are doing is very hard work and very important.”

Jim Taylor, Deputy County Administrator, and Melanie Baker, CASA program coordinator also thanked the volunteers.

New CASA volunteers received about 43 hours of intensive, specialized training that will enable them to speak for children and seek the best outcome for them. They also receive about 12 hours of in-service training a year.

For more information about Hanover’s CASA program, please call Melanie Baker, Coordinator, at 365-4296 or e-mail her at [email protected].