Advocate Impact: Nancy
March CASA Advocate Spotlight
Written By: Nancy's Advocate Supervisor
Nancy has only been an Advocate since November 2018, but she has already made incredible impacts with her CASA kids. For her first CASA case, Nancy selected a PMC case with Harper (16) and Ella (15). Harper and Ella are in the permanent care of the state because of their mother’s substance abuse and their father’s sexual abuse of their 19-year-old half-sister. The girls are placed in separate residential treatment centers (RTC) because they don’t always get along well. Both girls are mothers and their babies live with them at their respective RTC. Harper has a 1-year-old son, Owen, and Ella has a 4-month-old daughter, Avery.
During the case opening, Nancy and her supervisor noted that the girls had a brother, Logan (14), but CPS was unsure who Logan’s caseworker was or where Logan had been placed. Eventually, the girls' attorney ad litem informed CASA that Logan has severe special needs and was in a placement in Houston that could accommodate those needs. Due to this, CASA was assigned just for Harper and Ella. Upon meeting Nancy, Harper and Ella told Nancy that they really missed their brother and wished they knew where he was and how he was doing. At a hearing in January, a co-worker of Logan’s caseworker finally gave CASA current information on Logan. He had been moved to a RTC in Flatonia, about 1-1/2 hours from San Antonio. Nancy eagerly agreed to advocate for Logan as well and Judge Montemayor was pleased to know that Nancy would advocate for Logan as well and that she would arrange a sibling visit. Less than one week later, Nancy brought both girls to see Logan; it had been 8 months since they had last seen each other.
Upon meeting Nancy, Harper and Ella told Nancy that they really missed their brother and wished they knew where he was and how he was doing... Less than one week later, Nancy brought both girls to see Logan; it had been 8 months since they had last seen each other.
Nancy has built such trusting relationships with the girls that they confide in her their hopes, wishes, and even the mistakes that they make. At Harper’s Circle of Support staffing last month, Nancy encouraged Harper to share her hopes for her future. Nancy knew that Harper and Ella both wanted to rebuild their relationships with their mother, but the girls had never told CPS about this goal. The girl’s mother came to the Circle of Support and with Nancy’s reassurance, Harper expressed that her dream is to eventually be able to live with her mother. Before our meeting ended, the caseworker approved their mother having supervised visits with both the girls and their mother agreed to work services. CPS and the mother are now working towards the goal of placing the girls with their mother. Harper expressed gratitude at having such an awesome Advocate in Nancy and even said that Nancy is like a grandmother to her.
In her short tenure as a CASA advocate, Nancy has made significant impacts in the lives of Harper, Ella, and Logan by facilitating sibling visits and helping the girls to advocate for themselves. Nancy is truly the voice for these children.
At CASA, our goal is to serve 100% of the children and families in need experiencing foster care and strong community partnerships help make that possible.
In March 2025, Child Protective Services removed four young children, just 7, 4, 2, and 3 months old, from their mother’s care. This difficult step followed ongoing concerns about neglect, largely connected to the mother’s struggle with substance use, even during her most recent pregnancy. Although CPS offered support through Family Based Safety Services, the mother was unable to engage in the help provided. The children’s father was also unable to support them due to his own substance abuse and his incarceration in Bexar County Jail. Before removal, the children’s basic medical and educational needs were going unmet. They had been moved repeatedly between their mother and other relatives, leaving them without the stability, routine, and nurturing supervision every child deserves. When CASA Staff Advocate, JoAnn Herring, was assigned the case in April 2025, she immediately reached out to both kinship caregivers to understand the children’s needs and how to best support the families stepping in to care for them. JoAnn quickly learned that the paternal grandmother, who lovingly took in some of the children, was struggling financially and facing barriers due to limited English proficiency. To ensure she wasn’t facing these challenges alone, JoAnn submitted a CFE (Collaborative Family Engagement) referral and personally provided translation support so the grandmother could access services with dignity and understanding. Throughout the case, JoAnn has witnessed moments where cultural sensitivity was lacking, and personal biases influenced important decisions; often at the expense of what was best for the children. Despite these obstacles, she continues to advocate steadfastly and compassionately for the children to remain with the kinship caregivers who have opened their homes and hearts to provide safety, consistency, and love. Although the case is not yet over, Joann’s story demonstrates that CASA’s advocacy reaches beyond the children themselves, strengthening the village of care and support surrounding them, because CASA wants children to be safe, to thrive, and to have their overall well-being protected.
