Advocate Spotlight: Juan Villareal
November Advocate Spotlight
1. How long have you been an advocate? When did you realize you wanted to become one?
I was sworn in as an advocate on Jan 24, 2020. When I learned about CASA, I didn’t realize how much impact I would play in a child's life or how engaged I would be working with the legal team. I realized I truly wanted to commit around the second week of training. Shortly after signing onto my first case, I knew I made a great decision to advocate for foster kids after seeing the smiles on the kids when all needs were met by placement, visits held with mother, and observing CPS and CASA's direct impacts. I had no reservations about signing on my next two cases.
2. What is the most rewarding aspect of being an Advocate?
The most rewarding part of advocating is the journey of viewing these families strive for reunification. They each have different stories and struggles but desire the same ending. It has been my pleasure to serve on 3 open TMC cases and witness the teaming approach to meet the children's and parents' needs by all stakeholders involved. Through my diligence, I have been able to find a missing father from out of state and get him in touch with his legal caseworker and attorney. I have been able to advocate for in-home community resources to help build a support network while youth transition back home.
3. If you could offer some words of encouragement to your fellow and incoming Advocates, what would it be?
For new and fellow CASA advocates, I would like to mention I’ve enjoyed interacting with everyone in my cases (children, parents, CPS, Attorneys, Placements, etc.). I wasn’t sure which age range of children I was going to be good with. I am assigned a newborn, toddler, and then teenagers. The baby is adorable and has grown so fast in the last 5 months. The 4 and 5 year olds are fun young boys and very interactive to play with. The teens have been respectful towards me and are making great progress in their placements and education. I was initially worried about being able to connect with any age of children and youth. In my experience, being authentic, open, honest, and patience has led to having a trusting relationship with all my kids despite some COVID-19 barriers. I feel accomplished by interacting with the full age range of amazing children in just under a year of service.
A Message from Child Advocates San Antonio on National CASA/GAL Funding Termination On April 24, 2025, the National CASA/GAL Association announced that its federal funding through the U.S. Department of Justice has been terminated. As a result, National CASA is suspending subaward disbursements, training programs, and technical assistance. The organization is actively appealing the decision and assessing what services it can continue to provide during this transition. Info from National CASA can be found here. We understand that this announcement may raise concerns in the community, and we want to provide reassurance and clarity regarding how this news affects Child Advocates San Antonio. First and foremost: There is no impact to our organization or our services. We are fully operational and remain committed to serving the children and families in our community with the same excellence, integrity, compassion, and commitment we have always shown. Here are key facts we want our supporters and the public to know: Our funding remains secure. Child Advocates San Antonio has a diverse and stable funding base that includes a healthy mix of public and private funding. No one funding stream exceeds 50% of our budget. You can access our recent financials HERE. Our stability comes from strong state support and our dedicated Bexar County community, which keeps Child Advocates San Antonio resilient and focused on serving children. We do not receive subawards from National CASA. The suspension of subaward disbursements has no bearing on our funding or ability to operate. Our training programs continue without interruption. Our comprehensive and high-quality Advocate training programs are fully intact. We do not require technical assistance from National CASA. Our team is experienced, well-resourced, and prepared to continue all programming. No cuts, no hiring freezes, no changes to our operations. We remain fully staffed and actively engaged in our mission to advocate for children in foster care. Our commitment to advocating for children in foster care is unwavering, and our services continue as usual. We want to be clear: Child Advocates San Antonio is strong, stable, and here to stay. CASA programs in Texas are strong, independent, and fully committed to children in foster care. While we’re aware of the situation with National CASA/GAL, it doesn’t impact the critical advocacy happening here. Our commitment is clear: we will stand with the children we serve—until they are safe, their voices are heard, and their futures are secure. Our focus, as always, is on advocating for the best interests of children and ensuring they have a voice in court. Public support at all levels, including individuals, ensures we remain strong, regardless of national developments. No matter what, our mission stays the same – every child deserves to be safe, cared for, and have their voice heard. CASA’s mission is as important as ever— children in foster care need advocates who will stand by them. Start your Advocate Journey today!
Brittany Coppage
