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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In September 2024, the department first became involved with a family of five following allegations of substance abuse and medical neglect concerning the mother. Child Protective Investigations (CPI) initially sought to keep the family together by implementing a safety plan with fictive kin—a family the mother and children had met during their stay at Haven for Hope. The hope was that this new placement would provide stability for the children while keeping them safely with someone familiar. For a few weeks, it seemed to be working. But on October 29, 2024, the mother told the fictive kin she was going to retrieve her remaining belongings from Haven for Hope—and never returned. From November 2024 through February 2025, CPS continued its efforts to locate her while supporting the kinship placement and meeting the children’s needs. In January 2025, the kinship placement informed the department that she could no longer care for the youngest child, Ava, due to her severe behavioral needs. Faced with these challenges, the department made the difficult decision to file for removal to provide more comprehensive support for the children and the kinship caregivers. Ava was quickly placed in a foster home in February 2025, while her three brothers remained with fictive kin. Around this time, CASA Staff Advocate JoAnn Herring was assigned to the case. By April 2025, safety concerns prompted the immediate removal of the boys. They were placed in an emergency shelter while the department and JoAnn worked tirelessly to explore placing them with their sister in her foster home. Caring for four children is a big ask, especially for new foster parents, but with support from JoAnn and the department, the foster family rose to the challenge. By May 2025, all four siblings were finally reunited under one roof—a first major victory for this family. Even with the siblings together, challenges remained. The children had significant medical and educational needs. Michael, who had experienced medical neglect while in his mother’s care, was diagnosed with Stage 5 chronic kidney disease, requiring frequent doctor visits, hospital stays, and surgery. During these times, JoAnn visited the hospital regularly, offering support and encouragement to both Michael and his foster parents. JoAnn also worked closely with the department and foster family to ensure the other children—Ava, Mateo, and Leo—received the therapeutic and educational support they needed. Through Collaborative Family Engagement meetings, the team created a comprehensive plan addressing the children’s medical, educational, and therapeutic needs, with the goal of preventing placement disruption and ensuring the foster parents felt supported. Today, all four children are enrolled in school with 504 plans in place, and Michael has access to wrap-around medical services—another major triumph. The foster parents now feel confident in their ability to meet the children’s needs, and if the parents remain disengaged, the case may ultimately move toward termination. While that possibility is heartbreaking, the family has a permanent, loving home ready to care for them. Michael, though still facing significant medical challenges, has a strong team advocating for him every step of the way. This story is still unfolding, but it highlights the power of teamwork, advocacy, and dedication in helping children find stability, care, and hope. It’s a reminder of what can be achieved when community, department staff, and CASA advocates go above and beyond to support children and families in need.
Sol Arena Russo
