February Advocate Spotlight
Cynthia Catlin-Gaskins
1. How long have you been an Advocate and when did you realize you wanted to become one?
Since 2010 or 2011? I had been involved with several volunteer activities helping groups of children for a one-time event for many years. While I knew I was helping meet a need with the organization and indirectly the children, I wanted to be more involved directly with smaller groups or individual children and families to really help make a lasting difference in their lives. When my youngest son started driving, I knew it was time to take this step to become a CASA and I have never regretted it.
2. What is the most rewarding aspect of being an Advocate?
For me, those “moments” when you can say to yourself “this is why I was needed for this specific case, for these children, this family.” In every one of my cases, from the most simple to the very complex, there has always been those moments, and that very first moment in any case is especially rewarding.
3. If you could offer some words of encouragement to your fellow and incoming Advocates, what would they be?
You are giving an incredible gift of your time, your expertise and most of all your dedication as you make a difference in the lives of children and families that helps shape their future. Also, remember that your supervisor is also on the CASA journey with you and it’s important to reach out to him/her when you start to feel frustrated or disillusioned as they can help remind you of the bigger picture.
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
