Story of Hope: Miranda Robles

Story of Hope: Miranda Robles 

For her first case as a new CASA advocate, Miranda Robles chose to advocate for Jessie and Jeremy after she learned about the severe neglect, medical neglect, and abandonment they both suffered. Throughout the case, Miranda advocated diligently for 3-year-old Jessie and 1-year-old Jeremy focusing on their medical, psychological, and educational needs. Both kids were placed in separate homes. Jessie was placed with her biological father and Jeremy was placed with foster parents. When Miranda first saw Jeremy, he was small and still getting over withdrawals from being born drug positive for methamphetamines.


Miranda advocated for Jessie and Jeremy to get therapy and treatment, especially Jeremy considering his development. Miranda visited Jessie and Jeremy in person once every month in each of their placements, one of them being almost an hour away. During her visits, Miranda made sure to get updates from the children’s placements, daycares, and the caseworker. Miranda saw Jessie was not speaking as much compared to an average 3-year-old, but throughout the visits, Miranda started to see Jessie speak more and retain information such as the colors and counting with her biological father. Jessie’s speech also improved more when she started going to daycare and was speaking more with her teachers and interacting with other kids.



For Jeremy, Miranda knew he needed a lot of services and made sure his placement was on top of getting those services put in place. As each month passed, Miranda saw Jeremy grow bigger and healthier. When Miranda called his daycare, they said he was learning quickly. Jeremy was able to grab items with his hands, pick them up with his fingers, and started crawling as well. Each month, Jeremy showed progress in his therapy, physically, emotionally, and developmentally. Miranda saw the foster parents genuinely cared for Jeremy and made sure he had all the supplies he needed. Throughout the case Miranda became more and more confident that both kids were healthy and safe in their placements.


Jessie showed love for her father and her sister who stayed with them. Jessie did also show a connection with her biological mother despite her mother’s negation to get clean. Jessie’s father would not do anything to put her in harm’s way, even if that meant keeping her from her mother. As for Jeremy, the foster parents loved him and would do anything to protect him. Miranda saw they were open to letting his biological parents write him a letter and present it to him when he is older. The foster parents were also open to having sibling visits once both children are a little older. Miranda made sure throughout her case the children were safe and taken care of in the homes they were currently in.


This was Miranda’s first case that resulted in both reunification and adoption, she did an amazing job making sure they found their forever homes.

By bfines March 21, 2025
 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.
By bfines March 21, 2025
Larry Rushing
Show More
Share by: