Story of Hope: Janet Penley
October Advocate Impact Story
Written By: Janet's Advocate Supervisor
This case started due to allegations of physical abuse of 2-year-old Joshua. The Department received a referral stating that Joshua had bruising on the left side of his face to his ear. Initially, the family denied that any abuse or neglect had occurred in the home, but then later the mother called CPS and confirmed that her boyfriend had slapped the child. The Department requested that the boyfriend move out of the home, and they started working services without any legal intervention.
Unfortunately, the mother was not able to be protective of Joshua and still allowed her boyfriend around her son, which put him at risk of ongoing physical abuse. Joshua and his baby brother Shawn were ultimately removed from the home and placed in foster care at an emergency shelter.
At the 1st hearing, the Judge granted the removal, but made the unique recommendation that the children be placed with their mother, and that Shawn’s father not be allowed to have unauthorized visits or contact with the children. The Judge was hopeful that with services, the family could be quickly reunified and that the bond with the mother could continue if they were with her. The Judge also requested that a CASA be appointed as soon as possible to ensure that there would be an additional person to check on these kids.
Janet and Stephen Penley were quickly assigned to this case. Janet is a tenured CASA volunteer who had expressed a desire to work more closely with parents on her next case if possible, something this case had. The mother on this case was only 17 and had not had a very stable childhood, and would need all the positive support she could get.
Janet quickly got in contact with the CPS worker and the mother in order to visit the children. She realized that the mother was now living with the paternal grandmother with the children. The grandmother had expressed concerns that the mother would leave with the children for long periods of time, and she wasn’t sure where they were going or what they were doing. There was already concern that the mother was not being protective of the children, and after several attempts to ensure that the children would be safe with the mom, the children were ultimately placed in a foster home.
The boys were initially placed in a foster home together, but it was quickly determined that Joshua needed to be in a foster home where the foster parents could devote all of their attention to him. He was having a lot of behavioral issues and anxiety and the foster parents could not care for both children together. Joshua was moved into a new foster home, and Janet helped with the transition and ensured that play therapy was set up as soon as possible.
As the case continued to progress, the mother was trying to make progress, but found it hard to leave her boyfriend permanently. Janet kept in contact and continued to encourage the mother to work her services and learn from her classes. In the meantime, both boys adjusted to their foster placements, and were doing well. Both sets of foster parents acknowledged the importance of the sibling connection and made time to set up play dates and even would celebrate holidays and go on vacations together. They would even let the boys FaceTime each night to say good night to each other.
Both sets of foster parents acknowledged the importance of the sibling connection and made time to set up play dates and even would celebrate holidays and go on vacations together.
As trial approached, a paternal aunt was identified that wanted to have placement of Shawn only. The Department did a home assessment, and recommended that Shawn should be moved and placed with family. Janet went to visit the aunt and observed multiple visits to ensure that she could make an informed recommendation about whether a placement change would be in the best interest of the children. The parties were not all in agreement about changing placement, so a hearing was set.
Janet was not recommending a change in placement for Shawn. She was called to testify, and she stressed the importance of the sibling bond. She stated that even though the brothers are not placed together, the current foster parents were encouraging that sibling bond. She stated that the visits could probably not continue if the placement changed. She also stressed the fact that Shawn had now been with the foster parents for a year and that he was well bonded and did not really know the aunt even though she was family. Janet was also very concerned about the potential for the paternal side of the family to have ongoing access to the child, like what had happened in the past. After Janet’s testimony, the Judge denied the request to move the child and ordered that Shawn should stay in his current foster home.
[Janet] was called to testify, and she stressed the importance of the sibling bond.
Janet’s testimony was powerful because at this point, she had been on the case the longest since the original CPS worker had resigned, and a new worker had been recently assigned. Janet’s testimony also made an impact because she had visited not only the foster parents, but she had also observed the relative’s home, and visits with the child as well. This was something that the caseworker could not testify to.
The day of trial arrived, the parents on the case were still in a relationship, the father of Shawn was also pending a criminal trial for the injury to Joshua, and the mother was pregnant and had multiple warrants. The parents were not able to take care of their children, so they ended up relinquishing their rights. The current goal is for both boys to be adopted, and Janet will continue to fight for their rights to stay together when that happens.
Help us provide more Advocates like Janet who are willing to fight for children like Joshua and Shawn:
Fund a Hope
In December 2023, CPS received a Priority One referral regarding a 2-year-old child named Katherine, who had been hospitalized after ingesting narcotics. Her mother, Jessica, admitted to being under the influence of methamphetamines at the time. Katherine later tested positive for amphetamines, prompting the Department to seek removal of both Katherine and her 4-year-old sister, Valerie. Their maternal grandmother expressed willingness to care for them but only if CPS became involved. CASA advocate Alfredo Concha was appointed to the case and immediately took action. He contacted the grandparents and met with the children. During that visit, he learned that while the grandparents were willing to provide temporary care, they could not commit beyond December 2024. They had already adopted the girls' older sibling, which kept them busy, and as elderly caregivers, they felt unable to raise two young children long-term. They made it clear—either Jessica would have to get her life back on track by December, or the girls would need another placement. Understanding the urgency, Alfredo used Collaborative Family Engagement tools to seek additional family members who could offer support. He built a strong working relationship with Jessica, which proved invaluable. Through collaboration with Jessica, the grandparents, CPS, and the children's attorney, Alfredo identified and addressed barriers to reunification. A primary concern was Jessica’s history of substance abuse and the risk of relapse. After completing inpatient drug treatment, Jessica chose to move in with her ex-boyfriend, Robert, and his mother, Marie. Given Robert’s history of substance abuse and their previously volatile relationship, Alfredo recommended that Robert participate in services to strengthen their family dynamic. This included undergoing a substance abuse assessment, engaging in treatment, and completing a domestic violence prevention program. Alfredo also ensured Robert and Marie were included in planning meetings. During one of these meetings, Marie expressed her willingness to take in the children and committed to caring for them regardless of Jessica and Robert’s relationship. With this new support system in place, the girls were able to return to Jessica on December 3, 2024. CPS and Alfredo closely monitored the placement for several weeks to ensure stability. By January 2025, Alfredo recommended case closure, allowing the family to move forward with their lives. During the final hearing, Jessica addressed the court, expressing her gratitude. She stated that without the support of CPS and Alfredo, she would not have been able to succeed.
Larry Rushing
Stories of Hope Delivered to Your Inbox
Sign up for our newsletter to receive impact stories, announcements, and first look into any upcoming CASA events or campaigns!
Newsletter Sign Up
Voted Best Nonprofit to Work/Volunteer for
in San Antonio!
