Northern Virginia Family Services

WHO: At Northern Virginia Family Services (NVFS), we’ve always believed that every child deserves a safe, stable, and healthy start in life. And we believe that every parent or caregiver deserves the support and resources necessary to provide those tools. 

To achieve that mission, we need your help to power NVFS’ Healthy Families Alexandria and Child & Family Wellbeing, which includes CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Family Programs. With your support, families and children will have access to resources, education, and advocacy to build safe, stable, and nurturing environments. 

WHY: Families are experiencing economic stress, housing instability, and maternal mental health challenges. Circumstances have only grown more complex. Demand for both programs continues to grow. 

HOW: Healthy Families Alexandria (HFA) is an evidence-based home visiting program that supports the earliest stages of child development. Through personalized home visits, families receive developmental screenings, guidance, access to play groups and community, and in-demand items like diapers and grocery store gift cards. HFA strengthens child health, promotes child development, and reduces the risk of abuse or neglect.

The Child & Family Wellbeing programs provide advocacy and education for children and families involved in or at risk of entering the child welfare system. CASAs advocate for children to make sure they don’t get lost in an overburdened system. They meet with the child and everyone in the child’s life, then make recommendations in the child’s best interest directly to the court. They make sure the judge understands what the child needs and wants. CASAs will stay with their child until they reach a safe, permanent home. The Family Programs complement CASA advocacy by working upstream to strengthen families before crises escalate. Through trauma-informed parenting education, individualized coaching, and group-based learning opportunities, caregivers gain practical tools to support healthy relationships and child development.