40 Under 40: Christina Rouse

Christina Rouse, 38 / Children’s Advocacy Center Director/Lead Forensic Interviewer, Children’s Trust

Christina Rouse earned her degree in Psychology from Virginia Tech in 2004 and her Masters of Social Work from Radford University in 2006. She began working at Children’s Trust in 2007, rising to Director of the CAC program in 2013. With over 300 hours of training in her field on forensic interviewing, she has completed over 1,600 interviews of abused and neglected children and directs the operation and employees in the Roanoke, New River Valley, Bedford and Carroll County CAC offices. Rouse is qualified as an expert witness to testify in numerous civil and criminal court hearings in the state, is part of the faculty for Virginia’s statewide Forensic Interview training program ChildFirst. She speaks at state and national conferences in her field and has held officer positions on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Virginia. “The CAC program is providing a space for children and families who have experienced trauma and a place to feel supported and to begin the healing process,” Rouse says. “The children we serve are the future of the Roanoke community and impacting their long-term wellbeing is paramount to building a thriving community. Day in and day out, I love what I do and the mission of the CAC program.”

  • Earned B.S. in Psychology, Virginia Tech, 2004
  • Earned Masters of Social Work from Radford University, 2006
  • Hosts her bi-weekly podcast that discusses board gaming, relationships and the interaction between the two
  • Serves and has held officer positions on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Virginia
  • Qualified as an expert witness to testify in numerous civil and criminal court hearings within Virginia
  • Faculty member for Virginia’s statewide Forensic Interview training program ChildFirst since 2012

From the Nomination: “Christina Rouse is a warrior on and off the field. A warrior fighting for children who have been abused and neglected. … Rouse has conducted more than 1,600 forensic interviews with children who have experienced alleged abuse and/or neglect. She is trained in multiple forensic interviewing protocols, all of which are approved by National Children’s Alliance. Forensic interviews are used by trained professionals to gather information about incidents of alleged child abuse in a manner that will yield factual information from the child and stand up to scrutiny in court … Rouse’s commitment to the role that the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) can fulfill in seeking justice and healing from trauma for child victims is solid. As a component of her leadership, she has worked to develop community relationships to expand the service area of the CAC so that children in need can receive services in their own community. In the last two years, the Bedford community and the Carroll and Grayson communities, who sought CAC services, have worked with Rouse to establish forensic interviewing and family advocacy services in their own communities. Due to these efforts, children and their families, as well as local investigators and child protective service workers, no longer have to travel from Bedford or Carroll County to the Roanoke or New River Valley CAC offices to receive services. The ability to remove the additional burden of traveling an hour or more to have a child interviewed regarding their alleged abuse, as well as the value of having local connections to community resources that can assist the child and family in healing are invaluable…”

What do you love about Roanoke?

Rouse: “Roanoke is a beautiful place to raise a family. I have lived here with my husband and our 10-year-old daughter since 2007 and we’ve enjoyed the ‘small town’ feel in conjunction with the enormous opportunities for outdoor activities. Having the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail accessible to us is wonderful.”

How does your passion impact our community?

Rouse: “Working with abused children alongside our investigating partners has shown me that the CAC program has profound impacts on the children and families we serve. The CAC program is providing a space for children and families who have experienced trauma and a place to feel supported and to begin the healing process. The children we serve are the future of the Roanoke community and impacting their long-term wellbeing is paramount to building a thriving community. Day in and day out, I love what I do and the mission of the CAC program.”