FAIRFAX COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES INC

FAIRFAX COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES (CASA) PROVIDES A SINGLE, COURT-DIRECTED SERVICE AT THE REQUEST OF THE FAIRFAX COUNTY JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT. OPERATING UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COURT, FAIRFAX CASA RECRUITS, SCREENS, TRAINS, AND PROFESSIONALLY SUPERVISES COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVE AS COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES (CASAS) FOR CHILDREN INVOLVED IN ABUSE AND NEGLECT CASES. THE ROLE OF A CASA VOLUNTEER IS DEFINED IN THE CODE OF VIRGINIA AND INCLUDES CONDUCTING INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS, MONITORING COMPLIANCE WITH COURT-ORDERED SERVICES, SUBMITTING WRITTEN REPORTS WITH BEST-INTEREST RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE JUDGE, AND SUPPORTING THE CHILD'S GUARDIAN AD LITEM. CASA'S MISSION IS TO ENSURE THAT EACH CHILD'S NEEDS ARE IDENTIFIED AND ADDRESSED SO THAT EVERY CHILD CAN GROW UP IN A SAFE AND PERMANENT HOME. THE INVOLVEMENT OF A CASA IN THE LIVES OF ABUSED OR NEGLECTED CHILDREN PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT INTERVENTION DURING A PERIOD OF INTENSE CRISIS FOR THE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TO ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE RECIDIVISM OF CHILDREN BACK INTO THE COURT SYSTEM FOLLOWING INITIAL CASE CLOSURE. ADDITIONALLY, CASA INTERVENTION HAS BEEN SHOW TO REDUCE FUTURE RISK OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND THE RISK OF REPEATING THE CYCLE OF ABUSE AS AN ADULT.IN PURSUIT OF THIS SINGLE FOCUSED OBJECTIVE, FAIRFAX CASA UNDERGIRDS ITS PROGRAM WITH STRONG GOVERNANCE AND IS DEDICATED TO MAINTAINING A HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO CARRY OUT ITS COURT-MANDATED DUTIES. A CORE ACTIVITY OF FAIRFAX CASA IS THE RECRUITMENT OF WELL QUALIFIED AND THOROUGHLY SCREENED VOLUNTEERS TO FULFILL THE ORGANIZATION'S PROGRAMMATIC OBJECTIVE. 38 HIGHLY QUALIFIED VOLUNTEERS WERE SWORN INTO SERVICE DURING FY25. PROGRAMMATICALLY, FY25 WAS A VERY CHALLENGING YEAR FOR FAIRFAX CASA AS IT SERVED 404 CHILDREN WITH THE DEDICATED ADVOCACY OF 172 VOLUNTEERS. CASES CLOSED FOR 161 CHILDREN WHO WERE REUNITED WITH THEIR FAMILY OR WERE ADOPTED. CASA VOLUNTEERS SUBMITTED 322 OBJECTIVE REPORTS TO THE COURT, WHICH INCLUDED MORE THAN 2,207 BEST INTEREST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHILDREN; JUDGES ACCEPTED AND ORDERED 93% OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. CASA VOLUNTEERS MADE 8,130 IN PERSON VISITS TO CHILDREN AND HAD OVER 36,600 CONTACTS WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS, DONATED 23,210 HOURS OF THEIR TIME TO THEIR CASES AND TRAVELED MORE THAN 152,500 MILES IN FURTHERANCE OF THEIR ADVOCACY DUTIES. IN ADDITION TO COMPLETING 35 HOURS OF PRE-SERVICE TRAINING (AS WELL AS THREE HOURS OF COURT CASE OBSERVATIONS), CASA VOLUNTEERS ARE REQUIRED BY THE CODE TO COMPLETE 12 HOURS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION/IN-SERVICE TRAINING ANNUALLY. TO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT, FAIRFAX CASA OFFERED 22 IN-HOUSE TRAININGS AND PROVIDED INFORMATION FOR 102 COMMNUNITY TRAININGS DURING THE YEAR. VOLUNTEERS COMPLETED A TOTAL OF 1,377 HOURS OF TRAINING, AS WELL AS AN ADDITIONAL 590 HOURS OF INDEPENDENT, APPROVED STUDY.