Story of Hope: Christina Brockway

Story of Hope: Christina Brockway 


Christina has been amplifying the voices of her CASA children since 2015. Throughout her seven years at CASA, Christina has made huge impacts on her cases, seeing several of them through to adoption and even maintaining contact with some of her CASA children throughout the years.


Christina’s most recent case, however, has been a challenging and emotional one.

She was assigned to a case of a teen girl upon having been requested by the teen’s guardian ad-litem over a year ago. The teen girl came into the care of the Department after being recovered from a month on runaway status. The teen’s father refused to take her back; stating she had a history of running away and he was afraid she would continue to run, disrupting his other children’s lives. The teen’s mother's rights had previously been terminated in 2019 and there were no other viable relatives to care for her.


Upon meeting the teen, she and Christina immediately connected and formed a positive rapport with one another.


The case has not been easy. The teen has run from multiple placements, been involved in life-threatening situations requiring trips to the Emergency Room and hospitalizations. She has undergone traumatic experiences no child should have to go through.


Nevertheless, Christina has been by her side through it all. Every placement her teen has been admitted into, Christina visits shortly after, ensuring she has hygiene items, clothing and checking on her well-being. Christina was the first person at the hospital when her teen was admitted after a life-threatening accident. While on runaway, Christina constantly reaches out to her teen on social media, patiently waiting for a response letting her know she is safe. Although the teen does not disclose her whereabouts, she checks in with Christina to let her know she is safe. Other times, she has contacted Christina to pick her up at a nearby park as she’s ready to be in a placement. Several times Christina has been the only person her teen will reach out to when she’s on runaway.


Christina has also established a network of support with CPS, CASA, and attorneys on the case. She reaches out to the teen’s family looking for information, clues and answers on her teen’s whereabouts. She asks about other family members and friends that might be willing to take her.


And when in court, Christina will speak up for her teen, amplifying her voice and informing the Judge of not only what she wants, but what she needs and feels is in her best interest. Christina’s teen has been involved in three different courts: Children’s Court, CWOP- Children without Placement Court and Juvenile Court. At times these hearings have overlapped or were held multiples times a week. Christina has been to all hearings but one, as she was out ill. She writes reports, keeps up with staffing, meetings, and maintains parties on the case informed of any and all information pertaining to her teen.


Without a doubt, Christina has been a constant person in her CASA teen’s life. Her strong character and warm heart embody the qualities of a great CASA advocate. Although Christina’s teen is currently on runaway and the case may be far from over, her teen knows Christina is there for her, looking out for her, and has her best interest at heart.


Christina’s hope is to one day be able to see her teen in a safe, permanent, loving home and be able to spend quality time together going to a movie, out to a fancy dinner, or just bonding while getting their nails done.

Story of Hope: Staff Advocate Yvonne and Zoe

By bfines • February 17, 2026
In December 2024, the Department requested TMC for a youth, Zoe, who was found to be homeless after both parents refused to accept parental responsibility. The mother had an extensive CPS history, and the alleged father had CPS history and a criminal history. While in care, life became challenging as Zoe made decisions that jeopardized placement; choosing to skip school, run away from placement, and get arrested for a misdemeanor charge. As a result of these behaviors, the Department placed Zoe in a facility out of state. In August 2025, Staff Advocate, Yvonne, accepted the Crossover Court Case involving Zoe. During the initial Zoom meeting between Yvonne and Zoe, the youth shared her love for sketching, singing, and making people smile. Zoe further shared her hopes and dreams with Yvonne; stating that if parental rights were terminated, she hopes to be adopted by a loving family and wants to pursue her dream of having a career in law enforcement. Recently, Yvonne had the opportunity to visit Zoe at her out-of-state placement, where their conversations were not limited by time on a video call. When Yvonne met Zoe in person, she shared that she couldn’t sleep the morning of Yvonne’s arrival because she feared that Yvonne would be another adult who did not show up for her. Yvonne was able to lay that worry to rest by simply keeping her word, a small act that means the world to the children CASA serves. During the visit, Zoe shared that she wanted to make her CASA proud by improving her school grades, staying out of trouble with peers at placement, and staying busy with extracurricular activities. Yvonne was happy to hear Zoe share her aspirations and encouraged Zoe to continue on this positive path. The conversations about Zoe’s day-to-day happenings in life led her to share the more traumatic events with Yvonne. Yvonne listened and provided a space for Zoe to share what she was comfortable with. Yvonne encouraged Zoe to continue processing her trauma and grief with her therapist and find peace, past the pain of being estranged from her family and individuals whom she trusted. Despite the setbacks Zoe has endured in efforts to restore family connections, Yvonne continues to show up and support Zoe in self-advocating for her educational and placement needs as she approaches adulthood. Zoe’s educational goal is to attend her senior prom and walk across the stage at a public high school to receive her diploma. Most importantly, Zoe hopes to be placed in a Texas foster home where she will be protected, loved, and trusted. Regardless of where life and the case takes Zoe, Yvonne will be there at every turn.

February Advocate Spotlight

By bfines • February 17, 2026
Maquisha Nunn
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