Story of Hope: Christina Albert


In July 2024, CPS received a referral regarding domestic violence. The report alleged that the a father slapped the mother in front of their 10-year-old son, Vincent, and their 3-year-old daughter, Camila. Mother informed the Department that this was one of several incidents in which Father had assaulted her in front of their children. Both parents declined to participate in a safety plan.


Mother and Father both have a history with CPS, and Father also has a criminal record. Due to Mother's alcohol abuse and the ongoing domestic violence between her and her partner, the Department sought the removal of Vincent, Camila, and their 14-year-old sister, Ariana. The children’s maternal grandparents expressed a willingness to care for all three siblings.


CASA Volunteer Advocate, Christina Albert, was appointed to the case. She immediately contacted CPS, then reached out to the grandparents and traveled to visit the children. During that first visit, she discovered some underlying issues between the maternal grandmother and the children, particularly Vincent. Christina took the time to sit down with each family member in the household to hear directly from them. Both Vincent and Ariana shared with her that they missed their parents and wanted to return home.


Initially, CPS told Christina that the parents were slow to engage with their respective family service plans. Within a few weeks, however, she scheduled one-on-one meetings with both Mother and Father, which marked the beginning of what would become a strong working relationship among the three of them. CPS later shared with Christina that, following her conversations with the parents, they began actively engaging in services, resulting in a complete turnaround. Christina continues to provide ongoing support and encouragement to both parents.


Christina began using Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE) tools to get to know the children and to build meaningful connections with them. She has been an active and vocal participant in Family Group Conferences (FGCs), offering valuable insights into the family dynamic and providing feedback on areas of improvement and strengths. To this day, Christina continues to collaborate with the parents, the grandparents, CPS, and the children’s attorney to identify barriers to reunification and work toward a monitored return.


While permanency has not yet been achieved, the goal remains family reunification. Christina, along with everyone involved, hopes to see the parents successfully complete their required services and create a safe, nurturing environment for their children to return to.


Even though it is not a requirement, Christina travels over 120 miles each month to visit the family in person. She exemplifies CASA’s core value of commitment, advocating for the children’s needs and providing them with consistent emotional support.

Story of Hope: Tameka Woolfolk

By bfines • January 21, 2026
In November 2025, Child Protective Services received a referral involving two sisters, ages 13 and 14, who were found caring for themselves. Following the death of their father, the girls experienced ongoing abuse and neglect. They were living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, frequently left alone without adequate food, functioning plumbing, or consistent supervision, and were exposed to strangers regularly coming in and out of the home. Shortly after removal, Tameka Woolfolk was appointed as the Advocate on the case. From the very beginning, Tameka became one of the few consistent and reliable adults in the girls’ lives. The children experienced and continue to endure placement changes. These frequent transitions created ongoing instability and further complicated the girls’ ability to heal and adjust. Throughout each move, Tameka remained steadily involved, working diligently to ensure that the children’s services and support continued without interruption. She supports the girls not only emotionally, but physically as well helping pack their belongings at each move, accompanying them during school tours, and remaining readily available whenever they need support. Neither child was initially aware that they had the right to speak directly with the judge. Tameka recognized the importance of their voices being heard and with the support of the Ad Litem, helped to facilitate their presence at court, requesting that the judge meet with the girls in a breakout room, so they could personally express their wishes, all with the department, CASA and the Ad Litem by their side. In addition, this case was referred to Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE). During CASA’s ongoing exploration for family connections alongside the Department, Tameka discovered the children’s father’s obituary. Through this discovery, it was learned that the girls’ father had served in the United States Army as a combat medic during the Vietnam War and later worked for 30 years in civil service. Tameka took the initiative to request documentation, including VA records and a death certificate, to determine whether the children might be eligible for survivor benefits. The obituary also revealed that the girls are two of fourteen siblings. While many of the siblings were unable to provide support, CASA and the Department were able to establish contact with one brother. Through Tameka’s strong collaborative relationship with the Department and the Attorney Ad Litem, a thoughtful and appropriate plan was developed to allow the girls to begin visits with their brother, his wife, and their cousins. Although this story is still unfolding, both girls know one unwavering belief, that no matter what comes next, they know that Miss Tameka will continue to stand beside them every step of the way.

January Advocate Spotlight

By bfines • January 21, 2026
Lauren Lynes-Martinez
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