Story of Hope: Suzanne Martin

Story of Hope: Suzanne Martin

Suzanne Martin has been an Advocate since December 2017. She has worked on two cases and most recently, she was able to attend her case adoption, Amy. Suzanne began her work with Amy in April 2021 after a CPS caseworker made a special request asking for an Advocate due to the type of trauma Amy experienced. Without hesitation Suzanne accepted.


When Suzanne started her journey with Amy, she was in a kinship placement with her maternal grandparents. However, shortly after, Amy was removed from her grandparents and was placed with her uncle's ex-fiancé, Gabby. Suzanne reached out immediately and met with Amy and Gabby. Suzanne learned that therapy was a priority for Amy and started advocating to ensure this service was made available. She was able to ensure that Amy was seen by a therapist twice a month. Suzanne always followed up on Amy's education as well. Amy had good grades, but she was struggling with reading so, Suzanne participated in the ARD for Amy which is a meeting between teachers and parents to discuss the needs of the child and to create an Individualized Education Plan. Being an educator herself, Suzanne understood the importance of having the recommendations from the ARD incorporated into the classroom and she pushed for Amy to have tutoring to help improve her reading skills. Amy was very skilled and advanced at art, she enjoyed art and drawing and Suzanne provided her with some art supplies when needed.


Once placed with Gabby, Amy started thriving. She started to feel safe and secure. Suzanne noticed that over time Amy would become happier, however, Amy was always worried that she would be removed from Gabby. Suzanne realized that this was the best placement and home for Amy and always supported Gabby's efforts to become licensed and pursue adoption. During the case, there was an incident that happened that almost caused Amy to be moved and Gabby's home to not become licensed. Suzanne worked diligently with CPS and the ad litem to ensure Gabby would not be moved. During this time Suzanne made extra efforts to visit with Amy since she was feeling anxious about being moved.


Throughout the case, Suzanne made sure Amy felt important and seen. She would give Amy the attention she needed and more. Every month Suzanne would follow each home visitor with an outing, taking Amy to places she wanted to go and allowing her to make her own decisions.


In April 2023, Permanent Management Conservatorship (PMC) was transferred to Gabby which meant that she has legal responsibility to Amy and that Amy was in her forever home. Amy wrote a letter to everyone involved stating, "Thank you for everything you have done for me!"

A Message from Child Advocates San Antonio on National CASA/GAL Funding Termination

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!

April Advocate Spotlight

By bfines • April 11, 2025
Brittany Coppage
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