April Story of Hope: Gabby & Lilly

Advocate Impact Story

Monique Thibodeaux was sworn in as a CASA advocate in June of 2019. She became the advocate to two young girls, Gabby (13) and Lilly (10), in September of 2019. Once she was assigned she quickly went to work and began making contact with family, CPS, attorneys, and of course, the girls. The two children were brought into care due to alleged physical abuse by their mom; Gabby was seen with bruises on her legs, shoulders, and wrists, and domestic violence between mom and her paramour. The children were placed with their maternal grandmother in August of 2019 at the time of removal. The case was accepted into Family Drug Court which is a specialty court that works with the parents that suffer from drug or alcohol addiction very extensively. During the Drug Court monitoring, Monique was in attendance to every court hearing and apart of every staffing that drug court held. Monique shared her observations and objective opinions on the children.
From the beginning of the case, the mother did not seem to be really be engaged or eager to work the services to get her children back. She was eventually expelled from drug court for not cooperating with the services being asked of her by the judge. At this time Gabby was having some behavioral issues at school for fighting and Lilly had an incident where she had in-school suspension and she was a victim of bullying.    

Grandma would communicate with Monique asking for help or suggestions on what to do with the girl’s behavior in school. Monique came up with alternatives and asked CPS and her CASA supervisor for guidance as she did not want a placement breakdown. Monique kept in contact with Lilly and Gabby more often than the once a month requirement and formed a great relationship with the two girls. In order to provide the court with the most accurate information, Monique followed up and had great communication with therapist, attorneys, family members, teachers, caseworkers, and case managers. 

During the last few months before trial it seemed that Gabby was having more and more behavioral problems that ended up causing her to have severe bouts of suicidal thoughts and self-harm, which in turn led to her being hospitalized numerous times. Monique visited and spoke to her on a weekly basis at every new RTC or hospital she was placed at. She constantly communicated with CPS, the Ad Litem, and her supervisor to keep them updated on Gabby’s status and also tried to come with a plan to get her rehabilitated. This was also around the time that Gabby had been communicating with her mother which is believed to have caused her to have those emotions. 

The case initially went to trial in January 2021 but the mother’s attorney wanted more time for his client. The mother did not believe that she should lose the rights to her children even though she did not complete her Family Plan of Service. The judge decided he wanted the mother and the grandmother to attend a family counseling session together. The trial was reset for February 2021 and mom testified that it would be in her daughter’s best interest if she relinquished her rights and allowed her mother to adopt the girls. The mother testified that she knew they were in a better home and that her mother would take good care of them. 

Gabby is still currently placed at an RTC and is doing so much better than any placement or psychiatric hospital she’d be in. She has a long way to go but Grandma and Monique are very hopeful that she will be home soon and join her little sister Lilly, who is thriving and doing so well in school. Thanks to Monique’s consistent and constant communication even to this day, the girls have someone to give them a voice when they didn’t believe they had one. 

Story of Hope: Brennan Holland

By bfines • February 13, 2025
Brennan Holland was assigned to Sarah in December 2022. Sarah entered foster care with a history of abuse, neglect, and exploitation, yet she remains incredibly resilient. Throughout her time in care, she has experienced multiple placements. Brennan quickly learned that Sarah has a strong passion for neuroscience and dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon. Determined to pursue her goal, she graduated early from high school and is now enrolled in the College Bound Docket program, attending her school of choice—UTSA. However, the path to achieving her dream has not been without challenges.\ Sarah received a discharge notice from her current placement and was denied Supervised Independent Living (SIL) until she turned 18. It felt as though no one was giving her a real chance. CASA stepped in to advocate for Sarah’s independence, pushing for her to live in a dorm on her own. Not everyone on her team supported this idea due to concerns about her age, limited independent living experience, and fears that she might run away, be influenced by older peers, or engage in risky behavior. CASA, however, continued to stand by Sarah, even offering financial assistance to help her move into a dorm until she became eligible for SIL.  At Sarah’s next court hearing on January 24, 2025, her attorney ad litem filed a motion for her to live in a dorm at UTSA. CASA once again advocated for the court to approve this plan. The judge, quoting Brennan’s court report, stated, “Brennan said it correctly: You are going to succeed or fail based on your decisions.” Ultimately, the judge authorized Sarah to live in the dorms on campus and ordered CPS to cover the cost of SIL. CASA recently assisted Sarah in moving into her very first dorm room, and we are excited to see what the future holds for her. Since being placed on campus, she has built a strong network of supportive adults to help her thrive. The impact of CASA facilitating these vital connections is crucial in ensuring that young adults like Sarah have the support they need to successfully transition into adulthood.

February Advocate Spotlight

By bfines • February 13, 2025
Emily White
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