Story of Hope: Joan Ulsher
February Advocate Impact Story
Written By: Joan's Advocate Supervisor
On November 29, 2018, Joan signed on to a case involving four teenagers ranging in ages of 17, 16, 14, and 13. The 16 year old also had a young toddler. The children were removed from their home due to drug use and sexual abuse. The oldest child, Alex, had assaulted his youngest sister Sarah, and when it was clear that the mother, who was also a very heavy meth user, and close relatives were not protective of Sarah,
the children were removed. They had not been enrolled in school and were living in what can only be described as a temporary shed. The children had also had limited contact with their father.
During the time she has been on this case, she has worked over 1,075 hours and has driven over 10,000 miles. Joan dedicated herself to making a big impact on these kids. All the children had been in and out of multiple schools as well as having complete gaps where they were not enrolled in school. Joan took it upon herself to contact 32 schools and 10 different school districts. All had repeated at least 2 grades, sometimes more. Each child had been absent at least 645 times in the history of their school career. She began to create educational portfolios for all the children so that their educational needs could be met. Since the children have been in care, she has made herself a regular visitor at their schools, even those in different parts of Texas, and checks in on them at least weekly. The children’s teachers and administrators know her by name and know they can come to her for support or ideas to help the children. She has advocated for ARD’s, tutoring, Grade Placement evaluations, credit recovery courses, and Starr Intervention classes. Joan also has taken two of the teenagers on college tours and helped them meet the qualifications so they could receive laptops.
"Joan took it upon herself to contact 32 schools and 10 different school districts... she has made herself a regular visitor at their schools, even those in different parts of Texas, and checks in on them at least weekly."
Unfortunately,
Alex aged out of care and did not graduate high school.
Abigail (16 year old) resides in a home designed for teenage mothers to be able to parent their children while receiving parenting classes, and therapy. She is attending school and currently on the path of aging out. Joan is beginning to collect all information on independent living placements to ensure
Abigail knows all of her options.
James, the 14 year old, is doing well. He is involved in basketball at this placement and is thriving. He wants to attend college and is currently maintaining a relationship with a friend’s mom who could possibly be placement for him in the future.
Sarah is thriving in a structured environment and will soon be placed with her paternal grandparents. Mom has not worked any services and it is very unlikely the children will ever be able to return to her. The department and Joan have spent countless hours searching through the file, speaking with the parents, and children to find family connections. Since Joan cultivated her relationship with the father, she was able to get the paternal grandparents' names, which should end in permanency for one, and possibly more of the children.
Joan has spent countless hours building a bond with each child. They slowly opened up to her and spoke very fondly of their siblings. She began to see how important their connection was. Joan started to coordinate with four different placements so that the children could meet at least once a month to maintain that sibling bond. She would drive from one side of the state to the other so they could visit, even if it was just for a day. Joan cultivated their bond and supported it. She ensured after every move that the contact information and phone lists were updated and provided so the children were never without the support of each other.
"She would drive from one side of the state to the other so they could visit, even if it was just for a day."
Joan is dedicated to helping the children make positive connections with teachers, therapists, caseworkers, and peers. She has strived for normalcy by advocating for these children to participate in age appropriate events. Joan has been a constant presence of support and has been there when the children have moved and checked in with them daily to see how they were adjusting during 6 different placement changes.
She fiercely advocates for the children’s best interest in school, placement, and court. She has earned the respect from the caseworker and ad litem, even if they do not always agree. The caseworker and attorney have both expressed to CASA staff how lucky the children are to have this advocate and how she is willing to do anything to help.
Help us provide more Advocates like Joan who are willing to go above and beyond to provide a voice for children in foster care.
Fund a Hope
In March 2025, Child Protective Services removed four young children, just 7, 4, 2, and 3 months old, from their mother’s care. This difficult step followed ongoing concerns about neglect, largely connected to the mother’s struggle with substance use, even during her most recent pregnancy. Although CPS offered support through Family Based Safety Services, the mother was unable to engage in the help provided. The children’s father was also unable to support them due to his own substance abuse and his incarceration in Bexar County Jail. Before removal, the children’s basic medical and educational needs were going unmet. They had been moved repeatedly between their mother and other relatives, leaving them without the stability, routine, and nurturing supervision every child deserves. When CASA Staff Advocate, JoAnn Herring, was assigned the case in April 2025, she immediately reached out to both kinship caregivers to understand the children’s needs and how to best support the families stepping in to care for them. JoAnn quickly learned that the paternal grandmother, who lovingly took in some of the children, was struggling financially and facing barriers due to limited English proficiency. To ensure she wasn’t facing these challenges alone, JoAnn submitted a CFE (Collaborative Family Engagement) referral and personally provided translation support so the grandmother could access services with dignity and understanding. Throughout the case, JoAnn has witnessed moments where cultural sensitivity was lacking, and personal biases influenced important decisions; often at the expense of what was best for the children. Despite these obstacles, she continues to advocate steadfastly and compassionately for the children to remain with the kinship caregivers who have opened their homes and hearts to provide safety, consistency, and love. Although the case is not yet over, Joann’s story demonstrates that CASA’s advocacy reaches beyond the children themselves, strengthening the village of care and support surrounding them, because CASA wants children to be safe, to thrive, and to have their overall well-being protected.
Johnathan Cobb
