Story of Hope: Sarah Evertt

Advocate Sarah Evertt was assigned a sibling group of 4 in August 2021 after allegations of neglectful supervision due to domestic violence and continued substance dependence by parents. The children were placed with family where they felt safe and wanted to remain at the kinship home.

Sarah maintained weekly phone contact and biweekly home visits with the children and caregiver to ensure all needs were being met including feeling safe. The children's ages were 13,12,10, and 9 all were able to verbalize their desires. The children requested no visits with either parent fearing the abuse cycle would just continue.

Sarah had an amazing impact of amplifying their voices and needs by sharing the children's wants with the CPS caseworker and children's attorney to ensure they felt heard on a monthly basis. In court Sarah shared the desires of the children with the judge through her court report and testimony. Sarah advocated for the children's educational needs by speaking to teachers, securing a tablet for each child and painting art supplies to use for educational purposes.

Sarah also signed them up for several art events to express themselves as this was one of their favorite hobbies they shared as a sibling group. Sarah attended many school events to support her CASA children during her year-long assignment. Sarah was able to secure each child a new twin size bed with bedding to feel safe in their own personal space after finding out the kinship caregivers could use help securing each child a bed with the help of CASA donors. The oldest child requested a bike and Sarah was able to provide him a new bike with the help of CASA donors.

After being assigned to the case for a year, adoption was approved for the 4 children to remain in the kinship home where they are all placed together with an older 16-year-old sibling. Sarah maintained a strong professional relationship with the CPS worker, child's attorney, parents' attorney, medical staff, and school staff to ensure children's needs were kept at the forefront.

Due to the constancy Sarah brought to the family with her open lines of communication the family has asked Sarah to continue to reach out as often as she wants as they consider her a family friend now that the case is successfully closed as of 9/2022.