Executive Director Darcy Hubbard Celebrates 10 years at Fairfax CASA
This month, Fairfax CASA’s Executive Director, Darcy Hubbard, is celebrating 10 years at Fairfax CASA. During the last 10 years, Darcy has served as a leader, mentor, and friend to the Fairfax CASA staff and volunteers. Her caring nature and dedication to the organization have led to the betterment of countless Fairfax children and families. Under her leadership, Fairfax CASA has continued to grow and create more formidable relationships in the greater Fairfax community.
Darcy’s passion for systemic change led her to apply to law school at the University of Maryland early on in her career, but Darcy wasn’t always interested in the nonprofit sector. Her career journey began in apparel marketing, but after realizing the fashion industry was not for her, she leaned into her passion for child advocacy. During law school, Darcy had many opportunities to see the impact of a career in the public sector.
“Each internship, clerkship and student attorney position I held were incredible, life changing experiences for me. The most impactful experience I had in Baltimore was working in the Landlord Tenant Program through the law school clinical program for three semesters. I saw things—living conditions, abuses, corruption—like I had never seen before,” Darcy said.
From there, Darcy moved to D.C. and began her work in child welfare. From working as an Assistant Attorney General in the child abuse section to working as a Program Director at the Arc of Loudon’s advocacy clinic, Darcy was driven by a commitment to protect vulnerable children. At the Arc of Loudon, Darcy was doing direct and systemic advocacy dealing with disability and special education services.
“It was really good work, but I missed child welfare,” Darcy said.
Searching for a new job, Darcy encountered a job posting for an Executive Director position at Fairfax CASA.
“I printed it out and read it over like 20 times and felt like it was a really good fit for me, and my skill set,” Darcy raved. “I was very familiar with CASA from working in child abuse, but also because my sister had been a CASA in Baltimore and two of my aunts had been CASAs in New England. So, I applied, and the rest is history!”
Since then, Darcy has led Fairfax CASA through significant change and growth, while remaining true in its mission of advocating for abused and neglected children. One change consists in the organization’s messaging. Darcy explains, “When I first started, for the first year or so, I felt like the way we presented CASA was as an amazing volunteer opportunity…a volunteer organization that advocates for abused children. I wanted to switch that around. I wanted the focus to be on the children and families. I wanted the message to be that we are an organization that serves abused children and their families, through volunteers.”
Another development within the last 10 years is the strengthening of Fairfax CASA’s partnerships in the community and the respect CASA has earned within the community. As a lesser-known entity, the organization had to make its own way as a reputable organization. Former Executive Director Lisa Banks and Nannette Bowler, former director of the Department Family Services (DFS), really wanted CASA and DFS to collaborate and not be adversaries. When Darcy stepped into the role of Executive Director, she harnessed that energy, and further grew that relationship with Michael Becketts, the current Director of DFS.
“Today, we are asked to be involved in discussions and decisions in the County and in our Court system. We are considered. We are seen as an asset in the community and a true partner,” Darcy noted. “I know that I can pick up the phone and have a conversation with Michael and his staff, and be heard, and they also know that I am always open to feedback and willing to listen and own a problem. This mutual respect has really made a huge difference for the families we serve.”
While some changes were well thought out and planned, some changes were unexpected. In March of 2020, COVID-19 changed the way of American life. Businesses were forced to shut their offices, and Fairfax CASA was no exception. Darcy credits former Supervisor Tara Shimp with alerting Darcy to the seriousness of what was coming.
“Tara’s husband’s work had him on high alert and Tara was telling us for weeks that we needed to prepare. She convinced me to get extra coffee, toilet paper and shelf safe food. At first, I thought it was just a good idea to be prepared in case something happened, but then it started to get very serious across the ocean and here. I contacted our IT folks to make sure we could do everything remotely, from our homes. We got everything set up for everyone on a Thursday. By Monday we were all home, indefinitely. It was incredible. But, because we were prepared, we never stopped operations. We just pivoted and adapted. We came up with a plan for the CASAs to see their children virtually, we attended every hearing virtually, and we just adjusted and carried on. I was so proud of the team and the CASAs for their flexibility and dedication during that difficult time. And I was especially grateful to Tara, for putting me on alert. It was a scary time. Kids weren’t in school, in after care, in any type of setting outside their homes. They weren’t being seen. Our CASAs were vigilant about checking on the children assigned to the office, but I was worried about the kids we were not involved with, the kids who needed to be seen.”
During the pandemic, the number of new court cases dropped somewhat. Two years later, once COVID-19 numbers eased, and the population learned how to live alongside the virus, families were shaken up once again. Emergency funding that had lifted record numbers of children out of poverty dried up. Emergency funding for rent and mortgage payments ended. Families began to feel the burden of its absence. Darcy explained, “We all went into the pandemic one way, and came out a different way. All of us. We saw a significant rise in addiction, depression, anxiety, and alcoholism during the pandemic. For the families we serve, those issues hit them tenfold.” Since coming out of the pandemic, the rates of domestic violence, mental illness, and substance abuse have all doubled in cases. With an upsurge in these factors, the number of new children Fairfax CASA received from the Court also saw an uptick, with new cases more than doubling in FY23 and FY24.
Over the last 10 years, Darcy has witnessed many successes and accomplishments at Fairfax CASA. One that stands out is the passage of “Fostering Futures,” which allows older youth to remain in care and access services such as housing and education. Fairfax CASA worked closely with other nonprofits and was a loud voice in advocating for the adoption of Fostering Futures by the Commonwealth.
One of the most meaningful accomplishments for Darcy was playing a small role in changing asylum law in America for children. When one of their CASA youths was facing deportation back to a very dangerous and life-threatening situation, Darcy and the supervisor on the case, Priscilla Jahanian, refused to accept that outcome. They decided to walk upstairs to a new law firm that had just opened that specialized in Immigration Law. Ben Osorio, one of the partners, listened and offered his services to the youth.
“Through his tireless advocacy, the case went up to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and it changed asylum law for children. We were invited to file an amicus brief, which was an exciting opportunity. Now, there is a child standard, at least in the 4th Circuit. I am really proud of that.”
Alongside these accomplishments, Darcy reflected on what reaching 10 years at Fairfax CASA means to her, “It means a lot to me… I feel very responsible for Fairfax CASA, protective of the CASAs, the staff, the organization. I am extremely humbled that I get to be a small part of what the CASAs do on the frontlines. Ten years in, I am grateful for the relationships I have within the child welfare community, the Court, and the nonprofit community in the County. I am so thankful that CASA took a chance on me ten years ago.”
As Darcy celebrates her 10-year anniversary as Executive Director of Fairfax CASA, it’s clear that her leadership has influenced the organization and the community it serves. Her passion for child advocacy and systemic change has contributed to Fairfax CASA’s growth and respectability. Darcy’s legacy at Fairfax CASA is one that inspires the staff, volunteers, and partners she works with, ensuring that Fairfax CASA can continue its mission in advocacy for years to come.
