Story of Hope: Cynthia
July Advocate Impact Story
Written By: Cynthia's Advocate Supervisor
While Cynthia was serving in the military, she was introduced to CASA, and that initial encounter made a lasting impression on her. She was certain she would become a CASA advocate one day. So it was no surprise that earlier this year, on February 14, she was sworn-in as a CASA advocate and shortly after, was assigned to her first CASA case.
Cynthia immediately signed onto the case and introduced herself to all parties involved, and also participated in family group conferences. The two children, Bruce, 6 months old, and Dakota, 3 years old, were living in a shelter with their mother after having just been returned to her custody at their court hearing. Although, the mother had been permitted to have the children returned to her, the case remained open and the state still had temporary custody of the children.
When it came time to reach out to the mother and children, Cynthia obtained the proper clearance through the shelter where they were staying. At this time, the mother shared that she was unable to get baby formula, and that she was giving Bruce regular milk. Cynthia assisted the mother in making a WIC appointment and was diligent in her follow-up, calling and texting the mother to remind her of this appointment, but the mother did not keep the appointment.
Cynthia began to notice a pattern of missed appointments like this. The mother scheduled, then rescheduled, and then missed the children’s appointments, alongside many of the services outlined in her service plan. The mother kept expressing that she was too busy helping a friend, or that she forgot, or was too tired to attend her appointments. This was a red flag for Cynthia, so she expressed her concern to the CPS caseworker. She soon after followed up with the shelter, and found out that the mother was in violation of curfews, was not meeting with the shelter’s case manager, not attending required programs, and had not been informing the caseworker of the children’s whereabouts. Doing her due diligence, Cynthia voiced concerns that the placement may need to change.
In the midst of this new development, the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread, but that didn’t stop Cynthia from serving these children. She ordered educational toys through Amazon to help engage the children during quarantine, and continued to track the mother’s progress. The mother still wasn’t participating in services, and jeopardized the shelter placement by testing positive for drug use. Cynthia, again, voiced her concerns, this time to the caseworker and the children’s ad litem. An emergency hearing was held in April, wherein the kids were removed from their mother and placed with relatives. The kids are currently thriving in that placement.
During this time, Cynthia has continued to serve Bruce and Dakota with supplies through porch drop-offs, helped locate a much needed crib for Bruce, and often chatted by video with the children. She has been exemplary on this case, and is much appreciated for all her hard work.
Help us provide more Advocates like Cynthia who are willing to go above and beyond even in the midst of crisis to provide a voice for children in foster care.
Fund Their Hope
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.
Lauren Lynes-Martinez
