Washington County proclaims April 2025 Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month; Casa for Kids presents service statistics

Washington County Commissioners Court on April 1 proclaimed April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month in Washington County and commended local organizations and volunteers who serve children in the foster-care system.

Mandy Wright, executive director of Casa for Kids of South Central Texas in Brenham, presented the nonprofit’s recent service numbers and described the group’s local footprint. “Our program was established in 02/2006… We serve 4 counties, Austin, Colorado, Waller, and Washington,” Wright said. She told the court Casa for Kids served 76 children this year with CASA advocates, logged 3,275 service hours and drove nearly 22,000 miles in advocacy and case work.

Wright described CASA volunteers’ role as court-appointed special advocates who “get to know the children, we get to know their families, we get to know their placement teachers, doctors, everyone that is involved in the child's life.” The proclamation text read by the county noted state figures for confirmed victims and fatalities and commended organizations including Casa for Kids, Texas Child Protective Services, foster parents and other partners for their work.

A commissioner moved to approve the proclamation; the motion was seconded and carried with no opposing votes recorded on the transcript. Court members thanked Casa for Kids for its work and invited the director forward to accept the proclamation.

No formal follow-up tasks or funding were created by the proclamation vote; it is a ceremonial recognition intended to raise public awareness.