10 hours Ago
Children in the foster care system are among the most vulnerable populations in the United States. They face some of the most difficult experiences for a child, and many — who are separated from a parent or guardian — face them alone. According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Service, 228 children in Comal County were victims of abuse or neglect in 2024 and removed from their homes.
Imagine the experience of children who are removed from their places of security, their family, their siblings, and everything they know and care about. They find themselves in a world of social workers, lawyers, judges and courtrooms where life-altering decisions are made on their behalf. It is incredibly sad for any child in any community to suffer the loss of everything familiar, and it is unacceptable for that child’s needs to be unmet, or to want for anything after being removed from his or her home.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) strive to fill the void and advocate for the child’s best interests. The CASA program allows volunteers to serve in the role of Guardian ad Litem which entitles them to have access to all records that a parent would have, with the responsibility to make informed recommendations to the judge about a child’s best interest. CASA volunteers work toward reuniting the child with their family of origin whenever safe, and if reunification is not possible, they may recommend placing the child with extended family or family friends.
CASA volunteers lift the voices of the children who are not — or cannot — be heard, and are the ones who stay by the child’s side in tumultuous times, and look at the broader picture to plan how the family at large can recover and hopefully thrive safely. CASA volunteers are the only ones in the courtroom who are there on a voluntary basis. For a child who has been abused or neglected, CASA means having an advocate on their side who provides individualized attention instead of feeling lost — and being a priority instead of feeling invisible.
For volunteers, CASA is a life-changing experience that makes our community a better place. CASA started serving Comal County in 1985 and later expanded to Hays, Caldwell and Guadalupe counties, forming CASA of Central Texas. In 2024, there were 493 children in state care in these four counties and CASA was able to serve 392.
Kay, one of our CASA volunteers stated, “When you’re a CASA, you’re a support to everybody. Not just kids, but the parents and family members.” Kay recently helped close a case where the outcome was family reunification.
She described the parents of two young boys who really struggled in the beginning, but a team effort brought about a successful closure. She said the foster dad was an enormous help to the parents, encouraging and showing them good parenting techniques. And while not typical or expected for CASAs to remain in contact after a case closes, Kay still hears from the mom and receives pictures of the family.
She believes they did a great job of bringing the family together and providing the foundation for a stable and secure family structure. CASA of Central Texas envisions a world where every child thrives in a safe, stable, loving home. CASA of Central Texas provides high quality, best interest advocacy for children and youth in the child welfare system, and trains and empowers dedicated CASA volunteers to make sure children’s needs are met and their voices are lifted.
CASA commits to strengthening the connections and well-being of children in foster care, one family at a time. Happy 40th anniversary to CASA of Central Texas for serving the needs of our children who need it most. To learn about becoming an advocate of making a donation: https://www.
casacentex.org or call 830-626-2272..
