Meet Volunteer Advocate, Joe

By Sara Blake

CASA Volunteer Joseph (Joe) has long been aware of the brokenness of the child welfare system. “My mother was a family lawyer and often served as an attorney ad litem.” Joe recalls. “She was brilliant and could have probably done any kind of law, but she just wanted to make a difference. And that was inspiring to me.”  

Joe grew up in a single-parent household with his mom and sister. “Our home was very stable, and I had a great childhood, but in many ways, I was the man of the house. Looking back on that role and remembering my mom’s stories from court made me realize how many boys need a consistent, healthy male presence in their life,” says Joe. 

After studying government at UT Austin, Joe began a career running political campaigns. “My job can be stressful, dealing with very difficult people,” Joe admits with a laugh. “But on the hardest days, I just think about being a kid going through so much trauma and instability and not understanding why. It brings a much-needed perspective to my life.” 

One of Joe’s first cases was with a sibling group. “It certainly had its challenges and took some juggling, but they were awesome kids,” describes Joe. “It was a special opportunity to learn how to connect with such different ages. They had their own unique memories and perspectives of their parents and why they were in care. But they all showed remarkable resiliency, even after hard visits.

Joe remembers one “lightbulb” moment on the case that he’s not sure would have happened without CASA. “The youngest child was very quiet and behind in school, specifically in reading. When CASA joined the case, the other advocacy team members were convinced this child either had a developmental delay or a low IQ. But in all the upheaval the kids hadn’t been to school for over a year, let alone to see a doctor. Joe noticed that the children hadn’t been to the doctor in a while and maybe there was something medical that was interfering with their learning. “I advocated for this child to get their eyes checked, and sure enough, they just needed glasses! They were fine developmentally – they just couldn’t see at school and were shy of so many strangers coming and going.” Thanks to Joe’s advocacy, the child was on the honor roll by the time the case closed. 

Today, Joe is advocating for a youth with medical needs. “We’ve had a lot of hard moments on this case,” Joe shares. “And a lot of the bureaucracy can be really frustrating when I see a child in crisis not getting the help they need. It reminds me of the things my mom used to complain about in her role. But not for a minute have I doubted the importance of our role in this kid’s life. And it’s only furthered my desire to see changes in the system itself.”  

“This role should feel incredibly stressful, but to me, it doesn’t... maybe because I know I’m doing the right thing by standing with a child who needs our help,” says Joe. “I know I’m making a difference, and that keeps me going.”