February Advocate Spotlight

Josh M. Boggs

 1. How long have you been an Advocate and when did you realize you wanted to become one?


I have been an advocate going on 9 months now. Going back about 4 years ago when I was the President of a San Antonio chapter motorcycle organization that worked with abused children, I had the opportunity to know more about CASA and really appreciated what the advocates did to help the children. It was one special woman who is a friend and colleague of mine in real estate but also a long standing CASA veteran advocate Sara McCaffrey who really inspired me to look at CASA in much more depth! She is simply amazing and her passion for it really sparked my interest. 


2. What is the most rewarding aspect of being an Advocate? 


Anytime you get the opportunity to help a child in need is absolutely life giving! Being a licensed CASA advocate steps things up to a whole new level of opportunity to show a child love and compassion that they may have not ever received. In a world full of changing environments, new care takers, new places, new faces you can be their rock! You can be their constant that allows them to bond with you, trust you and give you back a strong feeling of self-worth, true value of pride and accomplishment that you are doing your part to help change the world for the better, one child at a time! Building up a child’s love and trust in you matters most and that kind of deep joy is hard to find in life anywhere else.


3. If you could offer some words of encouragement to your fellow and incoming Advocates, what would they be?


Our most precious resource on this earth are our children. Real results just like everything worth achieving in life don’t happen overnight as we all know.  The situations that you see your child put through and that can take a toll on you as well you MUST know that those are just challenges for you to shed the light; be a leader and an example of how to stay positive, joyful and stay full of gratitude. As it’s those moments that will build up within that child you are caring for. They will stay with them as they grow older which will perhaps allow that child to have a much larger positive impact on the world you won’t ever be able to imagine! 

Story of Hope: Staff Advocate JoAnn

By bfines • March 9, 2026
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.

March Advocate Spotlight

By bfines • March 9, 2026
Johnathan Cobb
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