Many people assume that all of the children served by CASA are in foster care and the majority of them are. However, because our courts in Travis County want to help families address their problems quickly and early, we are also appointed to children who are at risk of moving into foster care but for whom the court, CPS and CASA are making a last effort to try to avoid that outcome.

Children who come to the attention of CPS have already experienced abuse or neglect; however, removal of a child from his home and familiar surroundings, especially when followed by placement in foster care with strangers can be just as traumatizing, if not more so, than the situation that brought the child to CPS's attention in the first place. Fortunately, when there is a parent who is willing and eager to begin services that will correct the problems in the home and there is supportive and protective family or friends who are willing to keep the children safe, it can be possible to keep kids from having the State of Texas as their parent, even on a temporary basis. Read more

On April 23, 2013, we celebrated our more than 550 dedicated volunteer advocates here in Austin with a party and dinner in their honor. Volunteers received many words of gratitude from The Honorable Darlene Byrne, Executive Director Laura Wolf, Program Director Key Richardson, and Director of Volunteers Sonia Kotecha. Our keynote speaker for the evening was Courtney Jones, a young woman who grew up in the foster care system, had a CASA volunteer of her own and who is now working to change and improve the foster system for other youth. Hear more

By Callie Langford, Originally published in TODO Austin Magazine

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about the needs of children and families across our country. Last year in Travis County alone, almost 2,000 children were brought into the care of Child Protective Services after having experienced abuse or neglect in their homes. Here is one CASA volunteer’s story of advocating for two young sisters to help them reach a safe, permanent home and stay connected with their family:

Felicia and her baby sister Noemi have smiles that could melt your heart, in spite of having gone through a lot in their young lives. When Felicia was two, the girls were removed from their young mother’s home when her immaturity and inability to care for her children proved too unsafe for them. The girls were far behind in their development, and Felicia displayed aggressive behavior and had not yet begun talking. At first, the little girls went to live with relatives, but this home quickly proved unsafe as well and the children were placed with a foster family. Read more

By Callie Langford, Originally published in TODO Austin Magazine

Dawn Crane was born in Michigan and raised in Ohio. Being stationed at Fort Hood brought her to Texas over 20 years ago. She has a one child and 3 dogs.

Dawn’s an entrepreneur with two small businesses including a cosmetics company that she will be re-launching this summer. Dawn loves to hike on Austin’s many trails and head to Colorado for skiing when she can. She also enjoys vintage and antique shopping.

Dawn has been volunteering with CASA of Travis County for a year and a half... Read more

By Suamhirs Rivera, Originally written for and published on the National CASA blog

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month in the United States. But I was born in Honduras, and no one was there to prevent what I endured at the hands of my father.

He was a doctor with a good job. He also was often drunk and abusive. By the time I was 9, he had left 57 scars on my body. He came home drunk one night and began beating my mother. I jumped in to defend her, and he attacked me too.

After that he was gone. But as the oldest in the family, I had to work. By age 16, I had come to America to support my family. I went to live with my godmother, but she began selling me to whoever paid the most. It would be six months until the police rescued me. Read more