Meet little Emily. She is young, and afraid and disoriented. The last thing she remembers is that her parents were fighting, as they do…but this time a policewoman was taking her away. Her head is really hurting. Is Mommy okay? Where’s her dog, Muffins? Will she still get to see her teacher Mrs. Grayson? Most of all, where is her little brother, Jack?
Heavy questions at 2 a.m.—especially for a seven-year-old. Little Emily has officially entered the foster care system, at least temporarily. While it is for her immediate safety and security, in an instant, Emily is removed from every single person familiar to her: her teacher, her little brother, and her parents.
This is where Lone Star CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, step in. The mission is critical: to elevate the voices of children in Rockwall and Kaufman counties who have experienced abuse and neglect by providing trained volunteer advocates to work alongside children and families so they can achieve safety and stability to fulfill their potential.
Background
In Rockwall, Lone Star CASA started in 1992 and expanded into Kaufman County in 2004. Since its inception, Lone Star CASA has supported volunteers who gather important information about abused and neglected children and offer recommendations to judges that help them decide what is in the best interest of each child and ensure they’re placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. Only when children are in safe environments can they begin to heal from their trauma and have the support necessary to thrive.
In 2024, Lone Star CASA advocated for 214 children in the community. In doing so, 117 advocates traveled more than 64,000 miles to serve the kids in their care. Advocates donated more than 4,770 hours, attending 769 visits and 327 court hearings. Lone Star CASA provided advocacy and support to every child in need of an advocate, for the duration of their case, 100 percent of the time.
The bottom line is children involved in the child welfare system already experience trauma from mistreatment and separation from their home life. A significant attachment to their parents becomes broken and they often struggle with knowing who they can trust. CASA volunteers remain a constant trustworthy adult in these children’s lives.
Innovative Impact—Transforming Lives
The safety and security of children is paramount to the mission at Lone Star CASA. Within those parameters, avoiding the overcrowded and less than perfect foster care system—and keeping families together if at all possible—is the goal.
“CASA holds the hands of vulnerable children and helps them make it out of darkness and through the wilderness of the legal system,” says Honorable Judge Brett Hall, 382nd District Court, Rockwall County, Texas.
On that front, Lone Star CASA has implemented several innovative initiatives that others in Texas now follow. Collaborative Family Engagement and Court Ordered Services both seek to repair harm, heal trauma, strengthen familial bonds, and prevent further abuse and neglect.
As abuse cases increase, so too does the need for quality volunteers. However, it’s interesting to note that it can be unclear who benefits most, and whose lives are transformed more through this process. “I will never forget witnessing a severely autistic child in foster care ‘smile’ for the first time while riding a therapy horse,” reflects CASA volunteer Betty Shupp. "I knew I was helping make a difference.”
To learn more about advocacy, please visit lonestarcasa.org or call 972.772.5858.
Volunteer Advocates Trained for Success
CASA advocates are highly trained professionals interfacing with children and families, helping them achieve a brighter future. The CASA program has merited awards and recognition from the White House, U.S. Congress, and the Department of Justice for its success.
- Mandatory 30 hours of pre-service training
- Requires 12 continuing education hours annually
- Training refined by judges, child abuse specialists, and the Department of Family and Protective Services