Story of Hope: Marcia Huff-Toy

Story of Hope- Marcia Huff-Toy

Marcia Huff-Toy has been a CASA advocate since February 2018. Marcia has advocated on Neglect and Abuse cases in addition to Custody (Child Support) cases. Marcia is very comfortable in working with teenagers and is currently working on her 4th case. Her current case involves John, a 16 year youth. Sally, his mother tried to convince him to say he was responsible for the death of Jack, his 4 month old sibling. Sally blamed John for Jack’s death and John believed her. Sally does not want anything to do with John and he told his teacher that he no longer wanted to be with his mother and that he felt Jack’s death was his fault. Jack’s death was ruled as undetermined. Jack had trace amounts of methamphetamines in his system during autopsy, but it was not the cause of death.


Marcia wasted no time in contacting the caseworker and getting to learn the case. She confirmed placement for John and learned he was placed with Becky, his maternal grandmother. He is in the 8th grade (special education) and in therapy. Marcia attempted on numerous occasions to contact Sally, and a woman answered and informed Marcia she had the wrong number. Recently, Sally was arrested for child endangerment, however she continued asserting John was responsible for Jack’s death. Marcia was able to contact the father after numerous attempts and found that the father was not engaged in services. He stated he was not financially stable to care for John and was in agreement of John remaining with Becky.   


It did not take long for John to become comfortable with communicating with Marcia. He was so surprised when Marcia attended one of his basketball games. He did not know that she was there until after the game as he was totally focused on the game. He scored 22 points!


The bond between John and Marcia was demonstrated during a visit in which John was moody and a little agitated. John mentioned the tutoring instructor singled him out for talking and called him to sit in the front of the class. He said he was not talking and he felt embarrassed. Marcia listened to him and they discussed what the situation was and how to respond in the future. She even offered to talk to the teacher for him. He had a basketball game that evening and Marcia encouraged him to shake it off and get pumped for his game. He appeared to have calmed down by the end of the visit. Marcia’s involvement in John’s life is a blessing! 

By bfines April 25, 2025
A Message from Child Advocates San Antonio on National CASA/GAL Funding Termination On April 24, 2025, the National CASA/GAL Association announced that its federal funding through the U.S. Department of Justice has been terminated. As a result, National CASA is suspending subaward disbursements, training programs, and technical assistance. The organization is actively appealing the decision and assessing what services it can continue to provide during this transition. Info from National CASA can be found here. We understand that this announcement may raise concerns in the community, and we want to provide reassurance and clarity regarding how this news affects Child Advocates San Antonio. First and foremost: There is no impact to our organization or our services. We are fully operational and remain committed to serving the children and families in our community with the same excellence, integrity, compassion, and commitment we have always shown. Here are key facts we want our supporters and the public to know: Our funding remains secure. Child Advocates San Antonio has a diverse and stable funding base that includes a healthy mix of public and private funding. No one funding stream exceeds 50% of our budget. You can access our recent financials HERE. Our stability comes from strong state support and our dedicated Bexar County community, which keeps Child Advocates San Antonio resilient and focused on serving children. We do not receive subawards from National CASA. The suspension of subaward disbursements has no bearing on our funding or ability to operate. Our training programs continue without interruption. Our comprehensive and high-quality Advocate training programs are fully intact. We do not require technical assistance from National CASA. Our team is experienced, well-resourced, and prepared to continue all programming. No cuts, no hiring freezes, no changes to our operations. We remain fully staffed and actively engaged in our mission to advocate for children in foster care. Our commitment to advocating for children in foster care is unwavering, and our services continue as usual. We want to be clear: Child Advocates San Antonio is strong, stable, and here to stay. CASA programs in Texas are strong, independent, and fully committed to children in foster care. While we’re aware of the situation with National CASA/GAL, it doesn’t impact the critical advocacy happening here. Our commitment is clear: we will stand with the children we serve—until they are safe, their voices are heard, and their futures are secure. Our focus, as always, is on advocating for the best interests of children and ensuring they have a voice in court. Public support at all levels, including individuals, ensures we remain strong, regardless of national developments. No matter what, our mission stays the same – every child deserves to be safe, cared for, and have their voice heard. CASA’s mission is as important as ever— children in foster care need advocates who will stand by them. Start your Advocate Journey today!
By bfines April 11, 2025
Brittany Coppage
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