April Advocate Spotlight

Sandy Shores

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

I have been an advocate for 4.5 years. I first heard about CASA in the mid-nineties and I loved the concept of children in crisis having an advocate, At the time I was just starting my career in the military and could not commit to being able to follow through with a case. Fast forward 20 years, I retired from the military and signed up to volunteer.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an advocate for me is working within the system to ensure the child/children get all of their physical and emotional needs identified and met while in foster care. Obtaining medical records to ensure the providers’ referrals are being followed. Verifying the child is receiving all recommended therapies and treatments for them to meet physical, emotional, and developmental milestones. I love visiting the children monthly and seeing how they are meeting and exceeding the goals set by their therapists. It is also very rewarding when a case is completed, and everyone is in agreement that the best interests of the child have been met.

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

Have patience, don’t give up, and document, document, document! The system sometimes seems to work very slowly and terminating parental rights should never be taken lightly, that being said it can get frustrating when you don't see progress being made in the court system. I have been very fortunate to work with excellent case workers and foster parents who have kept me in the loop through phone calls and text messages when there have been changes in the case and keeping updated on doctor appointments and progress in therapies. I keep all text messages and summarize them in my monthly visitation report. If it is something out of the ordinary, like a child being removed from placement or medical incident, I notify my CASA supervisor, child’s attorney and case worker via email in addition to documenting in Optima. This helps me to write a comprehensive and concise court report.

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A Message from Child Advocates San Antonio on National CASA/GAL Funding Termination

By bfines • April 25, 2025

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!