San Diego County CASA of the Month – October 2024

Young children, especially infants under one year old, enter foster care at disproportionately higher rates than any other age group. Early childhood is when the brain develops most rapidly and flexibly. This time presents critical opportunities to create a foundation for lifelong health and learning, making it essential that defenseless infants in foster care have the support and advocacy of a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).

As a newly sworn-in CASA, Vicky was eager to advocate for Leo*, a baby boy born with withdrawal symptoms who was placed with a resource family after no longer needing hospital care. CASA Vicky’s immediate rapport-building with Leo’s social worker, caregiver, and mother, coupled with her interactions with Leo, played a crucial role in putting everyone at ease and encouraging them to see her as someone invested in Leo’s success.

Leo’s mother resides in Mexico, where her two older sons live, crossing the border most days to visit Leo or attend appointments as she works on her rehabilitation and participates in reunification services. Leo’s mother feels comfortable about CASA Vicky’s role as her son’s CASA. She often shares everything she is doing with CASA Vicky to better her life and be reunified with Leo. It is evident to CASA Vicky that Leo’s mother is on the right track and is taking her case plan seriously. She has become Leo’s mother’s cheerleader, checking in occasionally to see how she is doing. Every time, CASA Vicky is excited to hear that Leo’s mother’s length of sobriety keeps increasing. Leo’s mother has been doing so well with her case plan that she now has unsupervised visits and will soon have overnight visitations as she reaches 90 days sober at the paternal grandmother’s home in San Diego.

At the same time, Leo’s caregivers expressed interest in adopting him if reunification did not occur. They provide a loving home for Leo, catering to all his specific needs and helping Leo achieve his developmental milestones. As CASA Vicky interacted more with them, she learned that one of the caregivers expressed a sense of distrust around Leo’s mother’s ability to care for Leo and stay sober. Despite this, CASA Vicky has remained impartial and focused on acknowledging everyone’s important role in ensuring Leo is healthy, safe, and happy.

Today, Leo, a 1-year-old brown-eyed baby boy with a big smile, has started to take his first steps. CASA Vicky feels more confident by the day that Leo’s family will be reunified soon. Her dedicated work and empathetic abilities have made it possible for all the different adults in Leo’s life to prioritize Leo’s interests first. She eagerly anticipates writing her next court report, filled with positive updates about the family and the mother’s continued success in her rehabilitation efforts, to provide the judge with more information.

Name: Victoria “Vicky” S.
County: San Diego
Occupation: Former social worker
Became a CASA in: 2024
Favorite part of being a CASA: “Seeing my assigned child grow and develop and feeling that I may have had some small, positive impact on him and those involved in his life.”

You, too, can make a significant difference in the lives of youth in foster care. Your support and advocacy can be a beacon of hope for 1-year-olds like Leo.

Learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer and start making a positive impact today. *Names and identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality