Our Featured Advocate is Roy Wilcox!

did Roy Wilcox, resident of Urbana and a volunteer in the Champaign County CASA program become a volunteer in the Vermilion-Edgar CASA program? Roy, a retired attorney, owns the building that houses our CASA offices and stopped by regularly. During a conversation former Executive Director Lucas Seilhymer asked Roy if he would be willing to serve some of the children who had been placed in Champaign county but whose cases were being heard in Vermilion County courts. Roy agreed and now, several years later, continues to volunteer in both programs. Roy retired from his law practice in 2012 after 32 years but still wanted to remain active. He had enjoyed working cases in Juvenile Court and thought it would be nice to advocate for kids. He had seen cases drag on for as much as five years and was troubled by the number of former foster children who ended up in Juvenile Court on criminal charges. His concern for the damage caused by prolonged time in foster care prompted him to start volunteering with CASA. The COVID pandemic has presented challenges but Roy maintains contact electronically. He has foster parents show him the child and the child’s bedroom and has even played peek-aboo via Zoom. Roy states, “It’s not perfect…but I think it’s worthwhile not only being able to help a child but…[a CASA volunteer] can affect the outcome of a case and make the child's life better."