Forty two volunteers were sworn in as court appointed special advocate volunteers March 31, to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in Fairfax County. The ceremony took place at the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courthouse in the ceremonial Colonial Courtroom. The Honorable Jane P. Delbridge, a judge in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, presided over the ceremony. The volunteers had completed 30 hours of mandatory training during the month of March and will be required to observe one case before being assigned a case of their own.
Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates, Inc. (CASA) is a not-for-profit volunteer organization, which is part of a national organization. Established in 1989, the program "trains and supports volunteer child advocates who represent abused and neglected children … in dependency proceedings before the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court," according to printed CASA materials. Since its inception in Fairfax, volunteers have advocated for over 3,600 children. Volunteers assist the presiding juvenile court judge by providing an objective and intensive analysis of the CASA child's family circumstances and submitting an independent written recommendation, based on their investigation and the best interests of the child.
CASA volunteers are required to complete 32 initial hours of training before being accepted and 12 additional hours of in-service training each year. Once appointed, volunteers spend approximately 10-15 hours a month on their case. A typical case lasts approximately 18 months and CASA volunteers are required to make a one-year commitment to the program.