Story of Hope: June's Impact
September Advocate Impact Story
Written By: June's Advocate Supervisor
Julie, and her little brother Nico, were tired after a church event one fall night in 2015. They fell asleep in their parent’s bed because their beds were covered with laundry. Julie awakened in the night to the feel of her stepfather sexually assaulting her. She tried to push him away, but he persisted even though Julie’s mother was in the same bed. Julie told her mother the next morning, but her mother did not believe her and told her she had probably been dreaming. CPS and law enforcement investigated and removed the children from the house. Julie’s stepfather was arrested and then released on bond.
Two years later, CPS became involved again when they were alerted that the children’s mother had moved herself and the children back in with her husband, even though he was awaiting trial for indecency with a child. The judge specially requested CASA, and June, one of our Volunteer Advocates, signed on to the case.
June quickly got to know her CASA kids and began advocating for their needs. Both kids had excessive absences, so June encouraged their kinship placement to take them regularly to school. When Nico struggled with homework, June went to his placement and helped him work through all his make-up assignments. When their therapist was unable to continue working with them, June was able to ensure that both kids quickly began sessions with a new trauma therapist.
When Nico struggled with homework, June went to his placement and helped him work through all his make-up assignments.
June also observed parent/child visits and relayed concerns about Julie’s mother pressuring Julie to forgive her stepfather for sexually abusing her. She attended the stepfather’s criminal hearings to support Julie, who was the key witness for the prosecution. At one chaotic pre-trial hearing, the family was pressuring Julie in the court hallway and June stepped in and asked the prosecutor for a private waiting room to protect Julie. After that hearing, Julie was removed from her kinship placement by CPS. June went with Julie and her caseworker from the courthouse to CPS, and consoled Julie for hours while a new placement was arranged. Soon after that, Nico was also removed from kinship placement.
The week-long jury trials for the stepfather’s criminal case and for the CPS case were held back to back in the summer of 2019. June provided the ADA’s with evidence in the father’s criminal trial. She attended the “adoption ceremony” held by Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) for Julie prior to Julie’s testimony. She supported Julie throughout both trials and stood right beside her as Julie bravely gave her victim impact statement in criminal court.
June testified about the children’s best interests for almost an hour at the CPS jury trial and her testimony was crucial in securing the termination of parental rights. June was there to support Nico when CPS informed him that his father had been convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. June has been an incredible support to her CASA kids and has steadfastly advocated for their best interests throughout her case. Their CPS case is now on appeal, but June is determined to stay Julie and Nico’s CASA Advocate until they each celebrate their adoption day.
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In September 2024, the department first became involved with a family of five following allegations of substance abuse and medical neglect concerning the mother. Child Protective Investigations (CPI) initially sought to keep the family together by implementing a safety plan with fictive kin—a family the mother and children had met during their stay at Haven for Hope. The hope was that this new placement would provide stability for the children while keeping them safely with someone familiar. For a few weeks, it seemed to be working. But on October 29, 2024, the mother told the fictive kin she was going to retrieve her remaining belongings from Haven for Hope—and never returned. From November 2024 through February 2025, CPS continued its efforts to locate her while supporting the kinship placement and meeting the children’s needs. In January 2025, the kinship placement informed the department that she could no longer care for the youngest child, Ava, due to her severe behavioral needs. Faced with these challenges, the department made the difficult decision to file for removal to provide more comprehensive support for the children and the kinship caregivers. Ava was quickly placed in a foster home in February 2025, while her three brothers remained with fictive kin. Around this time, CASA Staff Advocate JoAnn Herring was assigned to the case. By April 2025, safety concerns prompted the immediate removal of the boys. They were placed in an emergency shelter while the department and JoAnn worked tirelessly to explore placing them with their sister in her foster home. Caring for four children is a big ask, especially for new foster parents, but with support from JoAnn and the department, the foster family rose to the challenge. By May 2025, all four siblings were finally reunited under one roof—a first major victory for this family. Even with the siblings together, challenges remained. The children had significant medical and educational needs. Michael, who had experienced medical neglect while in his mother’s care, was diagnosed with Stage 5 chronic kidney disease, requiring frequent doctor visits, hospital stays, and surgery. During these times, JoAnn visited the hospital regularly, offering support and encouragement to both Michael and his foster parents. JoAnn also worked closely with the department and foster family to ensure the other children—Ava, Mateo, and Leo—received the therapeutic and educational support they needed. Through Collaborative Family Engagement meetings, the team created a comprehensive plan addressing the children’s medical, educational, and therapeutic needs, with the goal of preventing placement disruption and ensuring the foster parents felt supported. Today, all four children are enrolled in school with 504 plans in place, and Michael has access to wrap-around medical services—another major triumph. The foster parents now feel confident in their ability to meet the children’s needs, and if the parents remain disengaged, the case may ultimately move toward termination. While that possibility is heartbreaking, the family has a permanent, loving home ready to care for them. Michael, though still facing significant medical challenges, has a strong team advocating for him every step of the way. This story is still unfolding, but it highlights the power of teamwork, advocacy, and dedication in helping children find stability, care, and hope. It’s a reminder of what can be achieved when community, department staff, and CASA advocates go above and beyond to support children and families in need.
Sol Arena Russo
