Washington County proclaims April Child Abuse Prevention Month; local CASA group details volunteer support

At its April 14 meeting the Washington County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a proclamation declaring April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month in Washington County.

The proclamation cited statewide and local statistics, including an assertion that 90 children in Washington County were confirmed as victims of abuse or neglect in 2025. Committee member moved the proclamation and Commissioner Haneth seconded; the court approved the motion by voice vote.

Nicole Guillory, operations director for Casa for Kids, thanked the court and described local services. "Here in our community, 90 children were victims of abuse or neglect and 29 entered foster care," Guillory said. She said Casa for Kids serves four counties and that volunteers provided 1,973 hours of advocacy last year and traveled 20,835 miles to support children and families. "That's equivalent to 1 full time employee working 40 hours for an entire year," she said.

Guillory also disputed the statewide gap cited in the proclamation, saying the proclamation noted that about 50% of children in Texas do not have CASA advocates but "I am happy to report that in Washington County and the other 3 counties we serve, all children are served by Casa. So no child goes without our services."

The court thanked Casa for Kids and invited representatives forward for a photograph after the vote. The proclamation recognizes local partners including Casa for Kids of South Central Texas, Child Protective Services, the Washington County Child Welfare Board, foster parents and teachers whose work the document commends.

The court did not record further directives tied to the proclamation; the item was adopted as presented and the county will share the resolution with relevant partners as part of outreach and awareness efforts.