“The moment she turned 18, Laura Nunes joined the Marine Corps, looking for an intense challenge but also for any assurance that she would have a place to sleep and food to eat. By then, she was all too familiar with the basic need to survive. Before she became a Marine police officer and fought for her country in Iraq, Nunes fought for her life at home.

For years she endured abuse from her father, until the day he walked out forever. Just when she thought she had lived through the worst, her mother's mental illness turned their home upside down.

At 14, when Nunes should have been unwrapping Christmas gifts, she was instead locked in a bedroom by her mother. She endured the isolation for nearly a week, without food or water, until police broke into the house out of fear that she and her mother were both dead.  Rescued from starvation and her troubled mother, Nunes did not yet have relief. With no one in the family picture, she began a long journey of survival. Fortunately, she wouldn't have to make it alone; Nunes had a CASA volunteer by her side, advocating for her best interests. (Erny, Cameran. "When the Family Portrait Is Empty." Veterans Organizations | The American Legion. The American Legion, 1 Apr. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <http://www.legion.org/magazine/98727/when-family-portrait-empty>.)”

During the holiday season, many of us look forward to those long, cherished hours where family and friends surround us as we share stories, laugh, and feast on our holiday meals.  However, for individuals like Laura, the holiday season is not so precious.  Each year, hundreds of thousands of children face abuse or neglect in their own home.  Thanks to CASA programs around the country like Fairfax County Court Appointed Special Advocates, there is hope for these children.  CASA volunteers enter a child’s life during a very chaotic time and through their observations and conversations with those involved, CASA volunteers are often times able to collect more information about the child and their situation than anyone else. Armed with this knowledge, the CASA volunteers fight for the fundamental rights of these children.  As we head into the holiday season, what will you do to help make the season brighter for abused and neglected children?

What’s a CASA volunteer?

CASA volunteers, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, are appointed by family court judges to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children who are under the court’s protection. Nicknamed “the eyes and ears of the judge”, CASA volunteers gather information about a child’s situation and report that information back to court. CASA volunteers visit with the children on their assigned cases, and speak with social workers, therapists, teachers, and other professionals. The goal is to help ensure that an abused or neglected child will live in a safe and permanent home. 

Isn’t a CASA volunteer the same thing as a social worker or an attorney?

No. The CASA volunteer is an independent, impartial observer, gathering the facts of a case to report back to court, and advocating for the best interests of the child. CASA volunteers do not replace social workers and they do not provide legal representation in the courtroom like attorneys.

Are CASA volunteers mentors?

No. CASA volunteers are advocates and spend much of their time working with the professionals on a case to ensure that an abused or neglected child remains safe and receives needed services.  That said, CASA volunteers visit the children on their assigned cases twice a month, and are often the consistent adult presence in the lives of these children while they are under the court’s protection.

How effective is CASA?

Last year, more than 75,000 CASA volunteers helped 240,000 abused and neglected children find safe, permanent homes across the country.  Of those volunteers, 171 served in Fairfax County alone advocating for 426 abused and neglected children. 

Judges have observed that children with a CASA volunteer have better chances of finding permanent homes than those without a CASA volunteer.  Preliminary findings have shown that children who have been assigned CASA volunteers tend to spend less time in court, spend less time languishing within the foster care system, do better in school, and are more likely to live a consistent, responsible adult life than those who do not have a CASA volunteer.

How can I help?

There are many ways to help:

·      Become a CASA volunteer. If you would like to learn more about becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate, the next step is to attend a one-hour information session.  Sessions are held twice monthly at convenient locations; 11/19/11 at the Burke Centre Library from 11am – 12pm and 12/5/11 at the Fairfax CASA office from 12pm-1pm. Contact Elisa Kosarin at ekosarin@casafairfax.org for additional dates and times of upcoming sessions.

·      Refer a friend. CASA volunteering requires an extensive time commitment that is just not possible for everyone.  If you know someone with a love of children and the available time, contact Elisa Kosarin at ekosarin@casafairfax.org

·      Give to Fairfax CASA. As a nonprofit organization, Fairfax CASA must raise the funds needed to support the work of its dedicated volunteers. Please consider making a tax deductible contribution through your workplace campaign (CFC #68151).

Want to learn more?

Web Site: http://www.fairfaxcasa.org

Phone:  (703) 273-3526

Mailing Address:

4103 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 200
Fairfax, VA 22030-4107

E-Mail:

staff@casafairfax.org -- for general questions and comments

Elisa Kosarin: volunteer@casafairfax.org -- to volunteer

Lisa Banks: executivedirector@casafairfax.org -- for program and financial/contributions related questions.

Listen to what Fairfax CASA Executive Director, Lisa Banks’, recently had to say in a radio interview:

http://www.casafairfax.org/Images/Images/zell%20law-lisa%20banks%20segment%202%203-20-10.mp3