This Kinship Care Awareness Month, we’re sharing the story of CASA Jessica and 16-year-old Ava.

For Jessica, becoming a CASA meant becoming a consistent adult in Ava’s life. From bringing Ava’s belongings to their first meeting to advocating for therapy, educational support, and the things that matter to Ava, Jessica has made it a priority to keep showing up.

“Being a CASA for a teen is about being a constant in their lives.”

Read Jessica and Ava’s story and learn more about the importance of stability, trusted relationships, and consistent advocacy for young people in foster care.

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This National Sibling Day, we are reminded just how powerful sibling connections can be, especially for children navigating the uncertainty of foster care. To one CASA Volunteer, that truth became clear right away. Chris is brand new to her role as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer, but she did not shy away from complexity. Instead, she stepped into a case with many layers and a group of siblings living in three separate homes.

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This Valentine’s Day, we are highlighting a love built on partnership, commitment, and showing up together when it matters. After 39 years of marriage, Dan and Carole Meyer have brought that same sense of teamwork into their roles as Co-CASA volunteers, advocating side by side for children in foster care.

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September is National Kinship Care Month, a time to honor trusted adults who step in when parents cannot. Kinship can mean grandparents or aunts, but it can also be neighbors, teachers, or in Amy’s* case, a nurse who already cared for her during hospital stays.

Molly is an Occupational Therapist. That experience carried into Molly’s second case, where she was appointed to Amy in April 2023. Amy, now four years old, received a heart transplant as an infant and has faced a lifetime of complex medical needs. When she entered foster care, one of her nurses and her husband became licensed specifically so they could provide Amy with a stable home. Just last week, they officially adopted her.

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With six years of advocacy experience under her belt, Judith Walker-Felix is celebrating two special milestones this August. The first is the graduation of the biological mother in her fourth CASA case from SAFETI (Substance Abusing Families Engaging in Treatment and Intervention) Court on August 6, a major step toward family reunification. Just one day earlier, on August 5, Judith will be celebrating her birthday.

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Jen and Kelly both hold leadership roles in the CASA Young Professionals, work full-time, and also serve as CASA volunteers. Having two amazing women like Jen and Kelly devoted to our cause is remarkable—but even more unbelievable is that they currently have CASA cases with children in the same foster home… for the second time! 

Kelly is the Chair of the CASA Young Professionals and has been with the group several years; Jen joined more recently and was glad to find that both she and Kelly are CASA volunteers. They both had cases involving sibling groups living in different homes than one another, and were discussing how to navigate the complexities of the school systems involved. They realized the similarities in their cases weren’t just a coincidence; they were talking not only about the same school, but also children placed in the same foster home!  

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Lucy and Alex are both students at Saint Louis University, graduating in May. They’re also Co-CASA Volunteers for a sibling group of four. Lucy and Alex were assigned to a case shortly after turning twenty-one in February 2024. Being a Co-CASA team has made the case manageable for Alex and Lucy. They split tasks, fill in gaps in one another’s schedules, and lean on each other to talk through the case, prepare reports, and make recommendations.

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Motherhood, like advocacy, evolves over time. When children are young, it means wiping tears, offering comfort, and building a foundation of trust. As they grow, so does a mother’s role—becoming a sounding board, a mentor, and a pillar of strength standing behind them as they build their lives. CASA Volunteer Patti Dowd’s journey reflects this evolution beautifully. A mother of four, Patti has raised a family grounded in empathy and strength. Her children—Rebecca, a Case Advocacy Supervisor for CASA; Rachel, a Guardian ad Litem; Margaret, a Special Education Teacher; and her son, Daniel, a software engineer—have each built a life rooted in the values Patti instilled in them.

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“But then I recalled that these children needed me and my presence made a difference. If your presence makes a difference in the lives of children, then you can persevere and do your best to help them.”

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After 30 years as a trial lawyer handling only civil cases and seven months as a Circuit Court judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit, Judge Warner was transferred to the Family/Juvenile Court of St. Louis County. For two years, 2013 and 2014, as a family court judge, he heard the painful stories of neglected and abused children in foster care and gained a deep respect for the professionals involved in each case.

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