Advocate Impact: Sandra Damrow
May Story of Hope
Written By: Courtney Turner, Sandra's Advocate Supervisor
The Department became involved with Zoe, Blue, Mia, and Jeremiah September 17, 2017 due to Physical Abuse and Neglectful Supervision. The children were living with their mother and her paramour who were in a domestic violence relationship at the time. When the children felt safe, they made outcries of physical abuse by their mother, sexual abuse by a past paramour of the mother and additional accounts of neglect became known. CASA was appointed to the case in October 2017 to all four children, during which time; the children were in two separate placements.
Ms. Sandra Damrow has been an advocate for four years and consistently goes above and beyond in her advocacy. She ensures the children’s educational needs; therapeutic needs and social needs are met. I am not sure how she does it, but she exceeds all expectations, to include but not limited to, maintaining contact with the childrens’ caregivers almost weekly, arranging sibling visits monthly, uploading school reports, etc. Her efforts show not only through her comprehensive documentation but also through the way the family, associated parties and the Department respond to her. When the eldest child was hospitalized and removed from her sisters and paternal grandparents, Ms. Sandra made the trip monthly to visit her so she would not feel alone. She realized the importance of being a constant in her life and standing by her in that difficult time.
I am not sure how she does it, but she exceeds all expectations, to include but not limited to, maintaining contact with the childrens’ caregivers almost weekly, arranging sibling visits monthly, uploading school reports, etc.
I have had the pleasure of being the lucky recipient, Advocate Supervisor, of Ms. Damrow and have seen the impacts she has made. In February 2019, this case went to Mediation in hopes of reaching an agreement or, at a minimum, narrowing the scope of issues to secure permanency for the children. No agreement was reached thus resulting in a three-day court trial.
I recall Ms. Sandra voicing her nervousness to me, but I assured her ‘you got this’ because I knew she was prepared and would be an asset to the case.
Had she not been a fearless advocate and made the efforts to contact all parents monthly she would not have had grounds to testify to certain things that she had personally observed or heard. Had she not seen her children consistently and spent quality time she could not assess the growth and change in all of them. I felt very proud to see her pull out dates, formulate objective responses and earn the respect of everyone in the room. This case was concluded in the favor of DFPS, the paternal relatives, biological father of Jeremiah, and CASA by The Honorable Judge Salinas.
Jeremiah has been placed approximately six months in a safe and loving home with his father. The children have sibling visits twice a month to include sleep overs at least one weekend a month. The girls have found permanency with their paternal grandparents and are doing well. They have a chance to finally become children and have ceased parentified roles. Their grades have improved, they participate in extracurricular activities and are becoming better day by day. Its moments as such that assure me of the hope that lies when a seed of love is planted.
In September 2024, the department first became involved with a family of five following allegations of substance abuse and medical neglect concerning the mother. Child Protective Investigations (CPI) initially sought to keep the family together by implementing a safety plan with fictive kin—a family the mother and children had met during their stay at Haven for Hope. The hope was that this new placement would provide stability for the children while keeping them safely with someone familiar. For a few weeks, it seemed to be working. But on October 29, 2024, the mother told the fictive kin she was going to retrieve her remaining belongings from Haven for Hope—and never returned. From November 2024 through February 2025, CPS continued its efforts to locate her while supporting the kinship placement and meeting the children’s needs. In January 2025, the kinship placement informed the department that she could no longer care for the youngest child, Ava, due to her severe behavioral needs. Faced with these challenges, the department made the difficult decision to file for removal to provide more comprehensive support for the children and the kinship caregivers. Ava was quickly placed in a foster home in February 2025, while her three brothers remained with fictive kin. Around this time, CASA Staff Advocate JoAnn Herring was assigned to the case. By April 2025, safety concerns prompted the immediate removal of the boys. They were placed in an emergency shelter while the department and JoAnn worked tirelessly to explore placing them with their sister in her foster home. Caring for four children is a big ask, especially for new foster parents, but with support from JoAnn and the department, the foster family rose to the challenge. By May 2025, all four siblings were finally reunited under one roof—a first major victory for this family. Even with the siblings together, challenges remained. The children had significant medical and educational needs. Michael, who had experienced medical neglect while in his mother’s care, was diagnosed with Stage 5 chronic kidney disease, requiring frequent doctor visits, hospital stays, and surgery. During these times, JoAnn visited the hospital regularly, offering support and encouragement to both Michael and his foster parents. JoAnn also worked closely with the department and foster family to ensure the other children—Ava, Mateo, and Leo—received the therapeutic and educational support they needed. Through Collaborative Family Engagement meetings, the team created a comprehensive plan addressing the children’s medical, educational, and therapeutic needs, with the goal of preventing placement disruption and ensuring the foster parents felt supported. Today, all four children are enrolled in school with 504 plans in place, and Michael has access to wrap-around medical services—another major triumph. The foster parents now feel confident in their ability to meet the children’s needs, and if the parents remain disengaged, the case may ultimately move toward termination. While that possibility is heartbreaking, the family has a permanent, loving home ready to care for them. Michael, though still facing significant medical challenges, has a strong team advocating for him every step of the way. This story is still unfolding, but it highlights the power of teamwork, advocacy, and dedication in helping children find stability, care, and hope. It’s a reminder of what can be achieved when community, department staff, and CASA advocates go above and beyond to support children and families in need.
Sol Arena Russo
