Advocate Spotlight: Janice and Jeffrey Ivey
January Advocate Interview
1. How long have you been an Advocate and when did you realize you wanted to become one?
We became advocates in May 2019 after completing our training. We had been looking for an opportunity to serve our community, now that our kids are grown. We can’t think of anything more important than working towards being a positive influence in the lives of children who have been in terrible situations. After getting information on CASA and attending the first training class, we knew we had found the right organization.
2. What is the most rewarding aspect of being an Advocate?
It’s seeing the difference that your efforts can make in the lives of the children you’re working with. Working with CPS, their schools, and the foster parents on plans and strategies so they can learn and prosper is extremely rewarding. And identifying opportunities for them-learning about their prior family experiences prior to CPS custody and turning previously negative experiences into positive ones. The progress that the children are making in school, for example, is definitely rewarding, and learning about things they want to do. When a child opens up to you, you know you’ve gained their trust and few things are as satisfying as that.
3. If you could offer words of encouragement to your fellow and incoming Advocates, what would they be?
Develop a strong, positive relationship with your CPS caseworker. Realize that your CPS caseworker has multiple cases and doesn’t have a CASA on all of them, so any way you can help them out goes a long way. We would not have made the same progress without our caseworker’s assistance and guidance. Verify, verify, verify-verify everything you are told, by both the children and the parents. We’ve discovered huge inconsistencies between things the biological parents have reported and what the children themselves saw or experienced. And realize that little things that you might not think are important can be critically important to the development of the child. Never assume anything-one of our kids told us that she hadn’t gone to see Santa Claus before Christmas because “it costs money to do that”. Always look for successes to celebrate-whether it’s a grade at school, learning to read, riding a bike-remember that in many cases, children put into CPS care have never had that before. But most importantly, be present-parental visits, school events, etc.- and be there for your kids-the more they see you, the more comfortable they will be and the more confident they will become.
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.
Johnathan Cobb
