April Story of Hope: Gabby & Lilly
Advocate Impact Story
Monique Thibodeaux was sworn in as a CASA advocate in June of 2019. She became the advocate to two young girls, Gabby (13) and Lilly (10), in September of 2019. Once she was assigned she quickly went to work and began making contact with family, CPS, attorneys, and of course, the girls. The two children were brought into care due to alleged physical abuse by their mom; Gabby was seen with bruises on her legs, shoulders, and wrists, and domestic violence between mom and her paramour. The children were placed with their maternal grandmother in August of 2019 at the time of removal. The case was accepted into Family Drug Court which is a specialty court that works with the parents that suffer from drug or alcohol addiction very extensively. During the Drug Court monitoring, Monique was in attendance to every court hearing and apart of every staffing that drug court held. Monique shared her observations and objective opinions on the children.
From the beginning of the case, the mother did not seem to be really be engaged or eager to work the services to get her children back. She was eventually expelled from drug court for not cooperating with the services being asked of her by the judge. At this time Gabby was having some behavioral issues at school for fighting and Lilly had an incident where she had in-school suspension and she was a victim of bullying.
Grandma would communicate with Monique asking for help or suggestions on what to do with the girl’s behavior in school. Monique came up with alternatives and asked CPS and her CASA supervisor for guidance as she did not want a placement breakdown. Monique kept in contact with Lilly and Gabby more often than the once a month requirement and formed a great relationship with the two girls. In order to provide the court with the most accurate information, Monique followed up and had great communication with therapist, attorneys, family members, teachers, caseworkers, and case managers.
During the last few months before trial it seemed that Gabby was having more and more behavioral problems that ended up causing her to have severe bouts of suicidal thoughts and self-harm, which in turn led to her being hospitalized numerous times. Monique visited and spoke to her on a weekly basis at every new RTC or hospital she was placed at. She constantly communicated with CPS, the Ad Litem, and her supervisor to keep them updated on Gabby’s status and also tried to come with a plan to get her rehabilitated. This was also around the time that Gabby had been communicating with her mother which is believed to have caused her to have those emotions.
The case initially went to trial in January 2021 but the mother’s attorney wanted more time for his client. The mother did not believe that she should lose the rights to her children even though she did not complete her Family Plan of Service. The judge decided he wanted the mother and the grandmother to attend a family counseling session together. The trial was reset for February 2021 and mom testified that it would be in her daughter’s best interest if she relinquished her rights and allowed her mother to adopt the girls. The mother testified that she knew they were in a better home and that her mother would take good care of them.
Gabby is still currently placed at an RTC and is doing so much better than any placement or psychiatric hospital she’d be in. She has a long way to go but Grandma and Monique are very hopeful that she will be home soon and join her little sister Lilly, who is thriving and doing so well in school. Thanks to Monique’s consistent and constant communication even to this day, the girls have someone to give them a voice when they didn’t believe they had one.
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!
Brittany Coppage
