February Inspirations
CASA Couple Advocates
Advocate Together
Perspectives from CASA Couple Advocates
February is a month filled with love! Dates we will go on, cards we will send, gifts we will shower our loved with!
But an often-overlooked activity that is rewarding and couples can do together: Volunteering. In particular Volunteering with CASA. (Click here for next information session)
Volunteering as an individual CASA Advocate is amazing! Couples who share this experience are rewarded in so many ways! CASA Advocate Volunteers provide hope for children who have been placed in foster care due to child abuse and/or neglect. CASA couples provide not only an extra advocate on a case, but the ability for the child to see two adults working well together, for their best interest. Some of our CASA kids long for the acceptance of an adult in their life, and our couples give them two! CASA currently has 33 couples advocating for these children. 33 couples who split the responsibilities on their case or perhaps support each other while taking on their own case, giving them the ability to double the number of kids they serve. Together they have been able to serve a total of 202 kids since their tenure at CASA.Several of our CASA Advocates couples wanted to share their experiences with you!
Pedro & Laura Hero have with CASA for a little over 5 years. “We can't imagine how difficult it would have been not to be able to share the journey with one another during this pandemic,”
Hero states. Pedro and his wife Laura Hero.
"There is no better way to feel more connected to your spouse than volunteering and providing hope for a child in foster care, together as a team. “We were surprised and filled with joy by the positive feelings and connections that comes from helping children find permanency in a loving and safe home. It is immeasurable. When something positive happens with one of our CASA kids, we both celebrate.”
Chris & Chet Malin have been CASA Advocates for over 2 years.
“We were able to provide both male and female oversight and interaction to the three boys and one girl (ages 7-9). This promoted safety and a higher level of control when attending SeaWorld, the movies, or gender specific events like the Auto-show, a Missions game, or a performance of the ballet “Cinderella. Being on the same case has improved our ability to communicate and compromise (when necessary) to achieve a common goal. We figured out early in the case which of us was best qualified to tackle specific tasks and thus avoid duplicated effort.”
Andrica and Rogers Dickerson have been CASA Advocates for about 3 years. Their favorite part about advocating together is that it “gives us quality time where we can bring happiness and joy to others. We are not discussing work or personal issues, but how we can provide our CASA kids' best service. Advocating as a couple has strengthened our relationship because we see our partner's care and compassion for others. Selflessness, acting without profit or benefit, helps us connect with others, and this feeling carries over to our relationship. The pandemic is emotionally and physically a trying time. We are not connecting with our CASA kids the traditional face-to-face way but virtually through video calls, more text messages and the occasional porch drop-offs. Most importantly we are doing it together.”
We thank all the couples at CASA who help make a difference every day. If you or your spouse/partner are interested in advocating together or maybe you are an advocate who has been trying to convince their spouse/partner, feel free to reach out to our Recruitment and Training department. With two, it is easier to navigate the complexities, the unfamiliar, and the situations where both advocates are out of their comfort zones.
CASA wishes each of our advocates and community a Happy Valentine’s Day and remember, “two sets of eyes and hands are better than 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
