Story of Hope: Cynthia Catlin-Gaskins

January Advocate Impact Story
Written By: Cynthia's Advocate Supervisor
Cynthia Catlin-Gaskins was assigned to a case involving 5 siblings who were removed from their home due to neglect and drug usage. The parents would consistently attend visits, but did not engage in any other services. The youngest child was placed with the paternal grandmother, and the other four children were placed with maternal great grandmother.

From the very beginning Cynthia voiced her concerns regarding the maternal great grandmother placement. She observed that the needs of the children were not being met and that the placement seemed to be constantly at risk of breaking down. CPS ignored the concerns and insisted the placement would provide permanency. Unfortunately, Cynthia's fears were realized when, after parental rights were officially terminated, the maternal great grandmother placement broke down, leaving four children looking for permanency.

The children were split up into multiple foster placements with no permanency in sight. Various family members expressed interest in becoming a placement for the siblings, but CPS was resistant to investigate any of these options due to past history. Cynthia, however, advocated that they at least be considered since there was currently no other permanency options.

For various reasons, none of these placements came to be, but at least two of the children (the two girls) ended up in a foster to adopt home in February 2019. Cynthia started cultivating these adoptive parents so they would also consider taking the two boys. They finally agreed and the boys were placed with their sisters. 

As they are getting placed, we received news that the foster mom, who had been laid off of work, just found a new job in North Carolina, so they were going to go through the process of buying a new house in North Carolina and selling their home in San Antonio. They told CPS that they were on a timeline, but they wanted to officially adopt all four children before they left. CPS bureaucracy made it nearly impossible for this family to fulfill the requirements asked for them in order to move with their new family. 

Since the girls had been with them longer, they were able to finalize their adoption sooner. The boys' adoption was still pending since they had been only recently been placed with the family, even though they had done multiple sibling visits prior in their home, including overnight stays. Cynthia pushed hard for the two boys not to be left behind in San Antonio, which was what CPS suggested had to happen. CASA even contacted the court manager because the plans for the case would change after every hearing.

Finally, the court summoned CPS program directors, adoption specialists, and every decision maker so they had to explain why the system was getting in the way of permanency. The judge asked them to staff in a conference room, because if they didn’t figure it out, he would. The goal was not to leave those boys behind when the family moved to North Carolina. CPS finally came up with a plan that would ensure all requirements would be met before the family had to travel to North Carolina. The four children are now together in what very soon will become their forever home. 

Thanks to Cynthia's persistence, not only was she able to ensure the siblings were adopted together, but she also ensured that the boys didn't experience more trauma in the process.
Help us provide more Advocates like Cynthia who are willing to go above and beyond to provide a voice for children in foster care.
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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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