Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is celebrating its 35th year of providing advocacy and support to Fairfax County’s abused and neglected children embroiled in the child-welfare system.
The nonprofit provides a crucial service to children and families by vetting, training and supervising volunteers from the community, appointed by the Fairfax County Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court. With the help of nearly 1,900 volunteers from the local community, the organization has served almost 9,000 children since its inception.
Fairfax CASA was established with the help of Judge Jane Delbridge after learning about CASA programs being utilized in other jurisdictions across the country. Recognizing the critical need for a neutral and dedicated advocate for children in her courtroom and community, she worked with Carole Coile, a Fairfax attorney, and fellow court professionals such as the former Fairfax director of court services Vince Pichcano to bring the program to fruition.
On Jan. 17, 1989, Fairfax CASA assigned its first child abuse case to a special advocate. The case involved a sibling group of two children.
By the end of that first year, the program was serving 80 children. Today, Fairfax CASA serves an average of 350 children annually. In 2012, the program served 520 children, the most it has served since inception.
Just over half of the children enrolled in the program have experienced domestic violence in their homes. Sixty percent had a parent struggling with substance abuse, and 45 percent had a parent struggling with a mental-health issue.
Last fiscal year, 167 volunteers were assigned to a case, and more are needed. For information on volunteering or contributing in other ways, see the Website at fairfaxcasa.org.
