March Story of Hope: Dorothy & Sheila
Advocate Impact Story
In May of 2018 two young ladies, Dorothy (10) and Sheila (13), were brought into foster care due to neglect by their father. Their mother had sadly passed away and that affected the two girls and their father in ways no one could have imagined. Grief hit the family very hard and they soon found themselves homeless. The father was very overwhelmed and stressed but tried his best to make sure his girls were safe and fed. Unfortunately, he began drinking in excess to help cope with the loss of his wife. He eventually did reach out to CPS for help, as he felt his girls deserved a better life than the one he could provide at that moment.
During the initial interviews with the girls, they expressed to their new caseworker that they would cry themselves to sleep due to having anxiety about their current living situation. They were living in their truck and sometimes would go without food and showers. This led to Sheila being picked on in school because of her appearance and hygiene, which then led her to self-harming.
Dorothy and Sheila were soon placed with relatives and things seemed to be going well. The girls were in counseling, they had endless warm meals, a room to sleep in, and were surrounded by their loved ones; but the girls were still dealing with the loss of their mother and now being away from their father. Sheila started to exhibit some behavioral issues that the family was not equipped to deal with. She unfortunately had to be removed and was placed in a shelter, while CPS searched for more family members or a foster home. Not long after Sheila was moved, Dorothy was also removed from their family and placed in a foster home.
Meanwhile, their father did not successfully make the changes he needed to be reunified with his girls. He decided to sign over his rights in the best interest of his daughters.
They did have an advocate by their side during these changes, Linda Wilson. She was assigned to this case in September 2018. While placed with family, Linda would keep in contact monthly, sometimes weekly, to ensure the placement was a safe and stable one. She worked with the caseworker and Family Tapestry to make sure the best placements were being chosen for the girls. Although the girls have changed placements multiple times, had multiple caseworkers, and have been separated from each other, Linda has been consistently with them through it all. Linda does not miss a holiday or birthday. She would make sure they saw each other and had sibling visits as often as allowed. This experience for them would not have been the same without her.
It has been almost three years from the time they were brought into foster care. They have been separated from each other for years now, only seeing each other during visits and some overnight stays. Finally, CPS found one foster home that would love to adopt both girls. They have now been placed together with a foster family since early February 2021. Sheila and Dorothy are enjoying their new home and look forward to new beginnings.
Although, this chapter in their life has not yet come to an end, everyone involved is still working hard to make sure they have the best outcome possible. The girls can be sure that Linda, their CASA, will do everything in her power to make sure that they have a happy ending.
Jimmy and Mary Young eagerly began their second case in August 2024. The children—Chris, 11; Emily, 9; and Sofia, 7—were in the care of the Department due to neglectful supervision by their mother, who struggled with alcohol dependency and depression. She had left the children unattended to travel to Port Aransas to drink and go fishing. In addition, the home environment was observed to be in disarray, with minimal food, posing a risk to the children’s well-being. The mother was arrested on three counts of abandonment of a child. The children’s father had passed away from cancer a few months earlier, in March 2024. The children were initially placed with their grandmother, who decided after a few weeks that she could not care for them. They were then placed with an uncle, who gave notice within two weeks. Subsequently, the children were placed together at Boysville, where they remained for the duration of the case. Although the children had already experienced two moves in just one month, the Youngs were optimistic about their placement at Boysville. The children from Jimmy and Mary’s first case had also been placed at Boysville, so the Youngs were familiar with the facility and had established a good rapport with the staff. From the beginning, Mr. Jimmy introduced himself to all parties involved in the case, exchanged phone numbers with the caseworker and the children’s attorney, and maintained close communication with them during the children’s moves. Once the children were placed at Boysville, Mr. Jimmy contacted the case manager and counselors there to inquire about setting up therapy and enrolling the children in school. The Youngs advocated for transportation to and from school, and the children were approved to ride the school bus. They also recommended bereavement therapy to help the children cope with the loss of their father. Mr. Jimmy learned about a summer camp at the Children’s Bereavement Center, made a few calls, and successfully registered the children to attend. Throughout the duration of the case, the Youngs visited the children monthly, maintained close contact with the CPS caseworkers, updated the children’s attorney after visits, and remained in frequent contact with the children’s therapists and teachers. They advocated for tutoring and addressed behavioral concerns with the children’s therapists. The Youngs documented everything in Optima, wrote court reports, and attended several CASA training courses to stay informed and further their knowledge of child welfare. They also chose to attend court in person to maintain face-to-face contact with the judge, other parties on the case, and the children’s mother. One particularly notable aspect of this case was the Youngs’ consistent communication and engagement with the children’s mother. After their initial meeting, the Youngs maintained regular contact with her, inquiring about her progress in services, employment, and housing. They frequently encouraged her to continue and complete her services, checked in after court hearings, and provided moral support—offering her hope. During the previous Christmas, Jimmy and Mary sent the mother a recording of the children singing Christmas carols, delivered messages from the children, and shared photos of special events. During phone calls or family visits, they listened patiently, giving her space to express herself. Within a few months, the mother opened up to them about the children’s father and his cancer diagnosis, sharing how it was discovered and discussing his passing. As the mother continued working on her services, Jimmy and Mary cheered her on, reminding her that her efforts were for the sake of reuniting with her children. At the merits hearing in September, the Youngs, in agreement with CPS, recommended an extension to allow the mother more time to maintain sobriety, begin extended visits with the children, and possibly start overnight, unsupervised visits. The extension was granted, as the mother had completed all her services and maintained stable employment and housing. Weekend visits began, and by late September, the mother continued testing negative for substances. The children were placed with her on a monitored return. Jimmy and Mary visited the children in the home for the following two months, providing CPS, the children’s attorney, and the court with very positive feedback. The children were happy, thriving, and their needs were being met. The Youngs provided their final recommendation of reunification in court in late November, and the judge granted reunification, dismissing CPS from the case. It was the Youngs’ consistent communication and encouragement toward this young mother that led to the successful reunification. They followed up after hearings, facilitated communication between the mother and caseworkers when the relationship felt strained, and provided the mother the opportunity to share her perspective without judgment—all while encouraging her to do her best for her children.
Alice Babine
