Story of Hope: Marcia Huff-Toy

Story of Hope- Marcia Huff-Toy

Marcia Huff-Toy has been a CASA advocate since February 2018. Marcia has advocated on Neglect and Abuse cases in addition to Custody (Child Support) cases. Marcia is very comfortable in working with teenagers and is currently working on her 4th case. Her current case involves John, a 16 year youth. Sally, his mother tried to convince him to say he was responsible for the death of Jack, his 4 month old sibling. Sally blamed John for Jack’s death and John believed her. Sally does not want anything to do with John and he told his teacher that he no longer wanted to be with his mother and that he felt Jack’s death was his fault. Jack’s death was ruled as undetermined. Jack had trace amounts of methamphetamines in his system during autopsy, but it was not the cause of death.


Marcia wasted no time in contacting the caseworker and getting to learn the case. She confirmed placement for John and learned he was placed with Becky, his maternal grandmother. He is in the 8th grade (special education) and in therapy. Marcia attempted on numerous occasions to contact Sally, and a woman answered and informed Marcia she had the wrong number. Recently, Sally was arrested for child endangerment, however she continued asserting John was responsible for Jack’s death. Marcia was able to contact the father after numerous attempts and found that the father was not engaged in services. He stated he was not financially stable to care for John and was in agreement of John remaining with Becky.   


It did not take long for John to become comfortable with communicating with Marcia. He was so surprised when Marcia attended one of his basketball games. He did not know that she was there until after the game as he was totally focused on the game. He scored 22 points!


The bond between John and Marcia was demonstrated during a visit in which John was moody and a little agitated. John mentioned the tutoring instructor singled him out for talking and called him to sit in the front of the class. He said he was not talking and he felt embarrassed. Marcia listened to him and they discussed what the situation was and how to respond in the future. She even offered to talk to the teacher for him. He had a basketball game that evening and Marcia encouraged him to shake it off and get pumped for his game. He appeared to have calmed down by the end of the visit. Marcia’s involvement in John’s life is a blessing! 

Story of Hope: Staff Advocate JoAnn

By bfines • March 9, 2026
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.

March Advocate Spotlight

By bfines • March 9, 2026
Johnathan Cobb
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