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
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.
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.
