March Advocate Spotlight

Larry Rushing

1. How long have you been an Advocate and when did you realize you wanted to become one?

One year, I fully retired at the end of 2023 and had the time and desire to give back in some way. I had been in Big Brothers-Big Sisters in Dallas (before moving to San Antonio). Helping children seems an important and neglected service. CASA is well recognized, so I volunteered.

2. What is the most rewarding aspect of being an advocate?

Really making a difference. In meeting with my two boys’ teachers, I learned the older boy’s unique needs were not being met. For years, his education had been neglected and his reading and math abilities were several grade levels behind. He was struggling and frustrated. With advice and support from my CASA supervisor and CPS, we got an educational surrogate appointed by the court to persuade his school to reassign him to Language Arts and math classes better suited to his abilities. He is now doing much better.

3. If you could offer some words of encouragement to your fellow and incoming Advocates, what would they be?

At first, the children, their parents, and their caregivers may not know your role and be tentative in establishing a relationship. Be patient … as we learned in CASA training, we may be the only constant in their lives. It takes time to establish trust. This is a hurdle race to the end. There is always another hurdle … an unknown number. Some will come as a complete surprise. Just keep figuring out how to jump them, asking for help and advice from your CASA Supervisor, CPS, and any of the other CASA Volunteers. Know that you are making a difference and these kids will remember you forever.

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Story of Hope: Staff Advocate JoAnn

By bfines • March 9, 2026

In March 2025, Child Protective Services removed four young children, just 7, 4, 2, and 3 months old, from their mother’s care. This difficult step followed ongoing concerns about neglect, largely connected to the mother’s struggle with substance use, even during her most recent pregnancy. Although CPS offered support through Family Based Safety Services, the mother was unable to engage in the help provided. The children’s father was also unable to support them due to his own substance abuse and his incarceration in Bexar County Jail. Before removal, the children’s basic medical and educational needs were going unmet. They had been moved repeatedly between their mother and other relatives, leaving them without the stability, routine, and nurturing supervision every child deserves. When CASA Staff Advocate, JoAnn Herring, was assigned the case in April 2025, she immediately reached out to both kinship caregivers to understand the children’s needs and how to best support the families stepping in to care for them. JoAnn quickly learned that the paternal grandmother, who lovingly took in some of the children, was struggling financially and facing barriers due to limited English proficiency. To ensure she wasn’t facing these challenges alone, JoAnn submitted a CFE (Collaborative Family Engagement) referral and personally provided translation support so the grandmother could access services with dignity and understanding. Throughout the case, JoAnn has witnessed moments where cultural sensitivity was lacking, and personal biases influenced important decisions; often at the expense of what was best for the children. Despite these obstacles, she continues to advocate steadfastly and compassionately for the children to remain with the kinship caregivers who have opened their homes and hearts to provide safety, consistency, and love. Although the case is not yet over, Joann’s story demonstrates that CASA’s advocacy reaches beyond the children themselves, strengthening the village of care and support surrounding them, because CASA wants children to be safe, to thrive, and to have their overall well-being protected.