Uncertainty During a Global Pandemic
Advocate Impact Story
This month’s Story of Hope is a continuation of a story that was previously highlighted in October of 2019. When that story was featured, termination of parental rights had just been granted to the parents of Joshua and Shawn. Both boys were in separate foster to adopt homes; however, both sets of foster parents were dedicated to prioritizing the sibling bond between Shawn and Joshua.
Normally after termination of parental rights an adoption can happen fairly quickly. Unfortunately, in this case we still had a paternal grandmother that was requesting placement and custody of both boys. The grandma had filed a legal intervention so that put the adoptions on pause until the intervention was sorted out. Advocate Janet Penley was determined to see this case through to the adoption of both boys.
Janet continued to visit both boys monthly and follow up with teachers and therapists to ensure they received the care and services they needed. Joshua had an especially hard time during this period because he was very attached to his foster parents and did not understand why there was a delay in his adoption. It seemed that each time we went to court hoping that the adoption could move forward, we were always met with more delays or complications. It was finally ordered that Joshua’s adoption could be consummated since he was not related to the paternal grandmother.
Joshua was finally adopted in April 2020 during all of the quarantine craziness. Joshua’s family, friends, and attorney celebrated his adoption with a festive car parade to mark the occasion. Joshua was finally able to relax in his home with his new family. Once Joshua was adopted all of the focus turned to Shawn and what needed to happen in order for him to have the same happy ending as his brother.
Shawn was getting much needed behavioral therapy but he also needed speech and occupational therapy. Due to Covid-19 these services were only available via Zoom. Unfortunately, Shawn really needed in person services since he was younger and had a shorter attention span. Janet continued to support the foster parents and helped provide some resources and ideas on what they could work on at home until he could attend in-person services.
We had several more court hearings to check on the adoption status and finally a decision was made to set a trial date for all parties to be notified and to address the intervention complication once and for all. Janet diligently completed yet another court report recommending that Shawn stay in his current placement as he had now lived there most of his life and was very bonded to his foster family.
The zoom hearing started and it was announced that the grandmother had come to an agreement with the adoptive parents and that the adoption would be able to proceed that morning. Shawn’s foster care journey was now over almost 3 years to the day that the case was started.
Through it all Janet was the one constant that was there through it all. She was there the day that the kids were removed from their grandmother and every month after that. This was a most unusual case filled with uncertainty and delays due to legal complications and a global pandemic but in the end Shawn and Joshua are thriving and have the brightest of futures.
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
