Advocate Spotlight: Chester & Christina Malins
May Advocate Interview
1. How long have you been an Advocate and when did you realize you wanted to become one?
We completed our orientation and training at the end of September 2018 and accepted our first (and current) case as a team in October 2018: a kinship placement (TMC) involving 4 siblings (7-year old male, 6-year old male and female twins, and a 5-year old male).
After retiring from our careers in 2017 (Chris as a grade school principal and Chet from a military support position following a 31-year military career), we relocated to San Antonio after 22 years in Honolulu, HI. We wanted to find a volunteer opportunity to blend our prior experiences and perspectives that would be rewarding and that could make a tangible difference. We had read articles in the past that highlighted the role and the rewards of being a CASA Advocate. Upon our arrival in San Antonio, various radio ads, promotional interviews, and street banners started a conversation between us that eventually culminated in our mutual commitment to sign up as CASA Advocates. The orientation and training regimen reinforced our conviction that our efforts would be both challenging yet rewarding as we helped make a difference in the lives of children at risk.
2. What is the most rewarding aspect of being an Advocate?
In our short time as Advocates, there have been many rewarding aspects, but two stand out above the rest. The first has been the recognition that our continued presence is important to the children. We are able to provide them direct and personal attention. We are there solely for them and can encourage and reassure them. They have responded to our visits at home and school, various outings, and cards with growing enthusiasm. A significant portion of that trust building has resulted from our involvement in the rest of the kinship family and placement situation which provides for the children’s immediate needs. The second has been the discovery that the CASA Advocate plays a unique and critical role in finding out information, sharing it with the other professionals in the process, and helping them connect the dots in order to provide what is best for the children. Having earned their trust, we advance the well-being of the children by enabling these very busy professionals to do what they do best.
3. If you could offer words of encouragement to your fellow and incoming Advocates, what would they be?
Since this is our first case, most of what we have learned may be specific to the circumstances and dynamics of this case. Nevertheless, for the new Advocate, we would have two recommendations: First, take the time and invest in learning who are the various players in the process, what are their roles, and personalities. They are all professionals who focus on the well being of the children, but they have neither the time nor perspective to gather and attempt to integrate the diverse information that the CASA Advocate can discover. Don’t stress or grow frustrated with trying to solve all issues on your sense of timing. The Advocate is an intermediary but not the fixer in the process. However, you can be a very valuable member of the team and work to hold the system accountable to provide for the best interests of the children. Second, it might take a while to build the relationship with the children. No two children are alike, but all eventually respond to someone who shows attention, remembers things about them, and helps them have moments that are special and better than what might have been in their past. Find reasons to be a part of events in their lives, see them often, offer them structure and affection, and just let them know you care about them and love them.
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.
