Story of Hope: June's Impact
September Advocate Impact Story
Written By: June's Advocate Supervisor
Julie, and her little brother Nico, were tired after a church event one fall night in 2015. They fell asleep in their parent’s bed because their beds were covered with laundry. Julie awakened in the night to the feel of her stepfather sexually assaulting her. She tried to push him away, but he persisted even though Julie’s mother was in the same bed. Julie told her mother the next morning, but her mother did not believe her and told her she had probably been dreaming. CPS and law enforcement investigated and removed the children from the house. Julie’s stepfather was arrested and then released on bond.
Two years later, CPS became involved again when they were alerted that the children’s mother had moved herself and the children back in with her husband, even though he was awaiting trial for indecency with a child. The judge specially requested CASA, and June, one of our Volunteer Advocates, signed on to the case.
June quickly got to know her CASA kids and began advocating for their needs. Both kids had excessive absences, so June encouraged their kinship placement to take them regularly to school. When Nico struggled with homework, June went to his placement and helped him work through all his make-up assignments. When their therapist was unable to continue working with them, June was able to ensure that both kids quickly began sessions with a new trauma therapist.
When Nico struggled with homework, June went to his placement and helped him work through all his make-up assignments.
June also observed parent/child visits and relayed concerns about Julie’s mother pressuring Julie to forgive her stepfather for sexually abusing her. She attended the stepfather’s criminal hearings to support Julie, who was the key witness for the prosecution. At one chaotic pre-trial hearing, the family was pressuring Julie in the court hallway and June stepped in and asked the prosecutor for a private waiting room to protect Julie. After that hearing, Julie was removed from her kinship placement by CPS. June went with Julie and her caseworker from the courthouse to CPS, and consoled Julie for hours while a new placement was arranged. Soon after that, Nico was also removed from kinship placement.
The week-long jury trials for the stepfather’s criminal case and for the CPS case were held back to back in the summer of 2019. June provided the ADA’s with evidence in the father’s criminal trial. She attended the “adoption ceremony” held by Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) for Julie prior to Julie’s testimony. She supported Julie throughout both trials and stood right beside her as Julie bravely gave her victim impact statement in criminal court.
June testified about the children’s best interests for almost an hour at the CPS jury trial and her testimony was crucial in securing the termination of parental rights. June was there to support Nico when CPS informed him that his father had been convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. June has been an incredible support to her CASA kids and has steadfastly advocated for their best interests throughout her case. Their CPS case is now on appeal, but June is determined to stay Julie and Nico’s CASA Advocate until they each celebrate their adoption day.
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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.
Emily White
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