Story of Hope: Brenna Albracht

Brenna Albracht has been a CASA advocate since October of 2020. She was originally signed onto a case in 2021 involving a 7-year-old boy named Ben. Ben and his 2 siblings Amy and Amber had been removed in a CPS legal case since 2018. During that case, Amy and Amber were placed with relatives who declined to take Ben. In 2020 the parents’ rights were modified and the Department was named the Permanent managing conservator of Ben. The relatives who were caring for Amy and Amber were named the Permanent managing conservator of them and their case was closed. Again, the relatives declined to become the managing conservators of Ben and so he remained a ward of the State. 

 

After the Department was named the permanent managing conservator, Ben was placed in a foster home out of town where he has remained there for the past 2 and a half years. During the time Ben has been in the foster home, the biological parent’s rights were eventually terminated, and Ben became a candidate for adoption in early 2022. Unfortunately, from 2022 to now, Ben has been in the same foster home waiting for his forever home. He has had no contact with his sisters, Amy and Amber.


Ben’s current foster home is meeting his needs however they have made it clear they do not intend to adopt Ben. Ben does well in the home, does not cause problems, and does well in school. His primary case worker was based in San Antonio and was only required to see him in person once a quarter. It would have been easy for him to disappear into the system and remain there until he aged out of care. During this entire time, Brenna was there for Ben, continuing to advocate for him to make sure he did not fall through the cracks. She was that constant presence to make sure the CPS worker did not forget about Ben.

 

Brenna later found herself moving out of town and it happened that she was relocating to the same area as Ben. She agreed to continue to be his advocate with the hopes of finding him permanency.

 

In 2023, Amy and Amber were removed from their relatives for being physically abused by them. Their biological mother was given a second opportunity to make positive behavior changes and as of right now Amy and Amber have been placed with their mom with the expectation that they will be permanently reunified soon. A CASA was also assigned to Amy and Amber’s case. What is happening with Amy and Amber and their mom would normally have no impact on Ben. However, because Brenna remained on the case and CASA was involved with Amy and Amber, we made the connection between the siblings and were able to start advocating for Ben’s possible return to his family.


If Brenna had not remained on Ben’s case, the CPS adoption worker for Ben would most likely have never known that his biological mother could become eligible to be his parent again. There is now a decent chance that Ben’s time in foster care may be coming to an end with him not only being reunited with his Mom but Amy and Amber as well.


This is a reminder to all advocates that you do not have to make a big bold gesture to have a monumental impact in the life of a child, constancy is sometimes all it takes.  

 

 

Meet Our Staff Advocates!

June 17, 2026
Pictured, left to right, JoAnn, Yvonne, Lorena, Mackenzie, Michelle, Stephanie, and Dan At CASA, our vision is to serve every child in foster care with a dedicated advocate. While an incredible volunteer serves most children, our new team of Staff Advocates helps expand our capacity to serve children with extremely challenging cases. Staff Advocates help fill critical gaps by taking on cases that often require more intensive coordination and support. These may include larger sibling groups, children with multiple placements, cases connected to specialty courts, or youth placed outside of Bexar County, sometimes even in other cities or states. By supporting these more complex situations, Staff Advocates ensure that children still receive consistent advocacy and attention when additional time or specialized support is needed. Our team includes six Staff Advocates and one Team Lead, all trained employees who work directly with children and families involved in the child welfare system. Thanks to funding from Bexar County and the John R. & Greli N. Less Charitable Trust , the Staff Advocate program has served 126 children in the past year who might not otherwise have had CASA’s brand of consistent, caring advocacy. We are also delighted to announce funding from National CASA/GAL Association to partially support the program in the coming year. In addition to their casework, our Staff Advocates support the Recruitment Department by helping raise awareness about advocacy opportunities in the community. Because they work directly with children and the court system, they bring valuable, real-life insight into what advocacy truly looks like. Staff Advocates have joined the recruitment team at several community events, including Coffee Shop Info Sessions, Comic Con, Faith-based markets, and National Night Out. At these events, they answer questions, share their experiences, and help potential volunteers better understand what it means to advocate for a child in foster care. They bring a firsthand perspective full of authenticity and impact for those considering becoming CASA volunteers. Impact in the Community During our past fiscal year starting July 2025, our Staff Advocates have served 126 children, including 23 children who were placed outside of Bexar County. Since its inception in January 2025, the team’s work has contributed to several meaningful outcomes for children and youth, including: 6 successful reunifications with parents , impacting 16 children 2 adoptions , providing permanent homes for 4 children 2 permanency placements for long-term care , supporting 4 children 1 successful transition into adulthood , where a young person is now attending college, employed, and living independently in her own apartment 6 college-bound students supported These outcomes reflect the dedication and commitment our Staff Advocates bring to every case they serve. Thank you, Staff Advocate Team! If you are interested in learning more about becoming a CASA advocate or attending an upcoming information session, we invite you to connect with our Recruitment Team and discover how you can make a difference in a child’s life.

Story of Hope: Staff Advocate Michelle

June 8, 2026
Harrison came into care in January 2021 due to abuse and neglect in the home. The department attempted to implement a few safety plans but to no avail. Ultimately, the parents were unable and unwilling to provide him with a safe and stable home environment, and Harrison was placed into foster care. In June 2025, Staff Advocate, Michelle, was assigned to the case, and he was living with his aunt in Laredo, TX. From day one, Michelle has been dedicated to getting to know Harrison, establishing rapport, and building trust. She would take the time to listen to him and get to know his likes and interests. When she first met him, he was timid and shy but as he gained confidence and became more comfortable, he started to open up to Michelle. He started advocating for himself, asking for a new charger for his laptop to do his schoolwork and started to disclose more important topics such as sensitive issues he was facing with his family. In October 2025, while Michelle was heading to Laredo to visit Harrison, he called her to let her know that he was no longer allowed back into his aunt’s home. There was a placement breakdown happening due to a verbal/physical altercation with his aunt and other family members, and his aunt gave notice to the department that day. Upon arrival at Laredo, Michelle immediately called Harrison’s case worker and attorney to let them know what had just transpired. Due to Harrison being 18 and not officially in extended care, Michelle was met with some pushbacks; however, she persevered and asked what his options were, if any, and how we could help him. Harrison’s team worked together and was able to get the extended care paperwork drafted and completed and Michelle was able to brainstorm with Harrison to find him a temporary home with a close friend until his caseworker could bring him back to San Antonio. Michelle took Harrison to his aunt’s so he could pack his belongings and stay with his friend temporarily. Michelle was so thankful that she could be there for him in his time of need. A few days later, Harrison was back in San Antonio. Harrison is currently thriving in his Supervised Independent Living (SIL) placement and is on track to graduate high school in May. He has plans to attend college for Cosmetology. He has had a tremendous change in his overall mood and is coming into his own as a confident young adult. When asked by Michelle how he feels being at his current placement, his response was “safe” and that’s all Michelle needed to hear to know she was making a positive impact.
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