Lisa, a CASA advocate, was newly assigned to a case with two children who had been removed from their mother because of drug and alcohol issues. The court’s plan was to place the children with their father, with whom they had not lived since they were very young. The children expressed great fear about this move – they didn’t know their father and he had not been a part of their lives for some time. Lisa listened and respected the children’s concerns.

She reported the children’s fears to the court, giving them a voice in the proceedings. The judge too felt the children’s concerns were valid and the move was delayed to allow them to engage in family therapy with their father. There were insurance barriers and a lack of funds to begin the process, but Lisa was again able to advocate for the children and find a way to make it work. With her solution in place, the family was able to get started in therapy within a few weeks. The children and their father are now getting reacquainted and are rebuilding their family.