![]() ![]() It’s a very different perspective than hearing from the child,” said Ferguson. But it’s different that’s speaking through another voice. Every child who is either before the court for foster care or for a child protective order is assigned a guardian ad litem to represent their interests. Truly, there was not a lot of engagement with children in the foster care process. “I try to imagine being a 13-year-old that has no say, and everybody is talking around me about what is going to happen.”įerguson served as an attorney for about 20 years before becoming a judge and saw the shortfalls in the system. Children have a voice, and it may not be always eloquent, and it may not always be what we want to hear, but they certainly have the right to be engaged in a process that relates to them and is all about them,” said Heather Ferguson, a Juvenile and Domestic Relations district court judge in Roanoke City. ![]() “The system is very disempowering to the very children that it serves. What are the challenges in the courtroom? One of the ways they’re doing it is with a goldfish in the courtroom. Oftentimes, in courtrooms across the country, decisions are made without listening to what the kids want even though those decisions drastically affect them.īut judges have found a way to ensure kids are being heard before life-changing decisions are made for their families. Giving children a voice in the courtroom: that’s what judges are doing in Roanoke, Virginia. ![]()
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