A Year of Impact: 12 Months of Changing Lives

The past year at Fairfax CASA was filled with huge milestones, new beginnings, and impactful events that celebrated our mission.  While we are not quite at the end of the calendar year, we can report that through November, a total of 185 children from 106 families had their cases closed by the court and the average length of a case was 18 months. We swore in 31 new CASA volunteers, and 407 children were served by our 157 active volunteers.

In 2024, we renewed our commitment to the well-being of children in need as we celebrated 35 years of service. We again took part in Run the Greenway in May, welcomed a new volunteer supervisor in July, and deepened community partnerships in August. In October, we recognized our volunteers and celebrated the 35th anniversary of Fairfax CASA. Together, we made a significant impact on the lives of children in our community in 2024. Take a look at all we accomplished during the last year at Fairfax CASA:

January—35 Years of Service

Fairfax CASA was established in 1989. By the end of that year, we had served 80 children. Today, Fairfax CASA serves an average of 350 children annually. With the help of nearly 1,900 volunteers from the local community, Fairfax CASA has served almost 9,000 children since its inception.

February—Winter Training Swearing In

On February 7, 2024, The Honorable Thomas P. Sotelo, Chief Judge of the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, swore in 15 new volunteers from our winter cohort and two new staff members, marking the beginning of their journey as advocates for children in need.

March—Fairfax CASA Success Story

Fairfax CASA released a Success Story in March about a nearly two-year case involving a family of three young children whose mother overcame significant mental health challenges to reunite with her family. The CASA worked tirelessly to support the father, who took on full-time caregiving during the mother’s treatment, and encouraged the mother to persist with her mental health services. Advocating for resources like an IEP, daycare, and home-based services, the CASA helped set the family up for long-term success.

April—Child Abuse Prevention Month

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. Fairfax CASA raised awareness for prevention measures by planting a pinwheel garden in front of the Fairfax County Courthouse Complex. We planted 367 pinwheels, each symbolizing a child we served during the previous year.

May—Run the Greenway Race & Swearing In

At the Run the Greenway event, our staff, volunteers, and sponsors embraced the “May the 4th Be with You” Star Wars theme, and we raised over $70,000 for Fairfax CASA! We earned top prizes, including first place for individual fundraising and online donations among large charities.

On May 22, eight new volunteers were sworn in by The Honorable Thomas P. Sotelo. This group of dedicated individuals completed rigorous training to prepare for their vital role in supporting abused and neglected children in Fairfax County.

June — FY24 Ends

In FY24, we served 396 children from 230 families. We received 177 new children, and 150 children’s cases were closed by the court.

July — Sena Tsikata Joins Fairfax CASA

In July, we welcomed our newest supervisor, Sena Tsikata.

August — Community Partnerships

Fairfax CASA prioritized building stronger community partnerships in August. Through collaborative training sessions with the Department of Family Services, we shared ideas on how to better serve the needs of children in our community.

September — Fall Training

In September, Fairfax CASA held its fall training, welcoming a dedicated group of individuals eager to make a difference in the lives of abused and neglected children. The training provided the cohort with the knowledge and tools needed to serve as strong advocates within the child welfare system.

October — Swearing in & Light of Hope

On October 9, eight new volunteers were sworn in by The Honorable Thomas P. Sotelo. Our newest group of CASA volunteers underscored the strength of our community’s commitment to giving vulnerable children a voice and a brighter future.

Later that month, we held our annual Light of Hope Volunteer Appreciation Event and recognized our 35th anniversary, drawing over 180 attendees, including judges, government officials, and community partners. The event honored CASA volunteers for their unwavering commitment to serving abused and neglected children and highlighted the power of community collaboration by reaffirming our mission to bring hope and healing to vulnerable children.

November — Facial Fuzz for Fairfax CASA

Fairfax CASA held its first-ever Facial Fuzz for Fairfax CASA (FF4FC)  fundraiser that encouraged participants to grow their facial hair for the month of November and raise funds to support Fairfax CASA’s work. FF4FC raised over $10,000 thanks to the dedication of our growers and the support of our community!

December — Giving Tuesday

Fairfax CASA hosted a successful Giving Tuesday campaign raising over $13,000—more than double our goal!


Our cases consisted of 2,573 face-to-face visits, 123,479 miles traveled, 30,977 contacts and 19,103 hours spent on the case. Looking back on the year, we are grateful for the support of our community and the dedication of our volunteers. Building on these experiences and successes, we look forward to another year of making a difference in the lives of children!