Subsection A of Va. Code ยง 2.2-439 provides the mission of the OCO:
There is hereby created the Office of the Children's Ombudsman as a means of:
The OCO has statutory authority to receive complaints regarding cases involving children for whom a report of abuse or neglect was made, children receiving child-protective or foster care services, in foster care, or placed for adoption in an agency placement adoption. This includes cases involving youth who are committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) but were in foster care immediately prior to being committed to DJJ. The OCO can investigate complaints alleging that an agency’s action was:
In addition, the OCO can:
The OCO cannot address complaints related to:
The OCO is dedicated to abiding by the following standards:
Independence – The OCO is to be free from interference in the legitimate performance of its duties and not subject to outside control, limitation, or influence allowing it to conduct its investigations, report its findings, and make its recommendations based solely on a review of the facts and law, in light of reason and fairness.
Impartiality – The OCO will receive and review each complaint and conduct its inquiries and investigations in an objective and fair manner free from bias and conflicts of interest, and treat all parties without favor or prejudice. This impartiality does not preclude the OCO from developing an interest in securing changes that are deemed necessary as a result of the process, nor from otherwise being an advocate on behalf of the constituency of children established by statute where the process demonstrates a need for it.
Confidentiality – The OCO shall maintain confidentiality of all information and records obtained in the performance of its duties and limit disclosure in accordance with applicable law.
In addition, the OCO recognizes and respects the primacy of the parent-child relationship as well as the good faith efforts and intent of child-serving and child-placing agencies to act in the best interests of children and strives to respect the proper balance between family preservation and child safety in performing its duties.
Eric Reynolds is the Director of the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman within the Office of the Governor. Previously, he served as staff attorney for the Court Improvement Program in the Office of the Executive Secretary for the Supreme Court of Virginia and was an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Office of the Attorney General in Richmond, representing and advising the Virginia Department of Social Services, the State Executive Council for Children’s Services and the Office of Children’s Services, the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, and the Department of Medical Assistance Services. Prior to working for the state, he was in private practice, focusing on family law and serving as a court-appointed guardian ad litem for children and as counsel for parents in child custody and child welfare cases in the Metro-Richmond area. He is a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law.
Jane Lissenden is the Policy Analyst for the Office of the Children's Ombudsman within the Office of the Governor. Prior to this role, she served for 15 years as Training Coordinator with the Court Improvement Program in the Office of the Executive Secretary at the Supreme Court of Virginia. Jane is a graduate of James Madison University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration and a minor in Criminal Justice.
Denise Dickerson is the Intake Analyst for the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman. Prior to coming to this office, she was the Program Manager for the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) and the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (ICAMA) at the Virginia Department of Social Services. Prior to this position, she was the Director of Operations at the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority; the Director of Social Services in the City of Petersburg, VA.; the Assistant Director of Administration at the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority; and Assistant to the Deputy City Manager in the City of Richmond. She has a BA in Sociology from Iona College in New Rochelle, New York and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Jamie Anderson is a Senior Investigations Analyst of the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman within the Office of the Governor. Prior to this role, Jamie served sixteen years with the Henrico County Department of Social Services as a Senior Social Worker and Supervisor in Foster Care. Jamie has over twenty years of experience in public child welfare across Virginia, Texas, & Oklahoma serving in a variety of roles across all programmatic areas including CPS, prevention, training, foster care & adoptions. Jamie earned her Master of Social Worker degree from The University of Texas at Arlington and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia.
Ian Danielsen is a Senior Investigations Analyst of the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman within the Office of the Governor. Prior to this role, Ian served as Associate Professor of Social Work at Longwood University. Ian has over thirty years of public and private-sector experience in child welfare, including provision of mental health treatment for youth in juvenile corrections and foster care. He also directed a regional child advocacy center program and successfully engaged in numerous federal and state-based legislative initiatives to support children at-risk for trauma. Ian is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, earning his Master of Social Work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1992.
